Banned diclofenac still kills critically endangered birds

ANJALI SUBEDI

KATHMANDU, March 16: Diclofenac drug was banned in Nepal in 2006 to curb the dramatic decline in the population of vultures. However, six years on, the drug is still a major threat to the critically endangered birds, according to Bird Conservation Nepal.

Speaking at a national workshop on ´effects of diclofenac on vultures and its current issues in Nepal´, vulture conservation officer at BCN Khadananda Poudel said that after the ban on the drug for veterinary purpose, many farmers began to buy diclofenac drug prepared for human use.

“Therefore, despite the ban, vultures could not be fully protected from the harmful drug,” he said. The workshop was jointly organized by Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) and Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Nepal in the capital on Thursday.

During a BCN survey in 2011, moderate use of human diclofenac was detected throughout the birds´ nesting colony that stretches from Nawalparasi to Kanchanpur boarder side, Poudel informed.

“Animals normally need 30 mg of diclofenac, while humans need only 3 mg for the drug to show effect. We found that people were illegally using the drug for animals,” he said, adding that scientific studies carried out since 2002 show a decline of 91 percent in the vulture population in Nepal. 

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