To protect national bird, govt to ban trade of peacock feathers

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, May 06, 2013

First Published: 00:21 IST(6/5/2013) | Last Updated: 00:24 IST(6/5/2013)

Beautiful peacock feather handicraft or embroidery would soon be history with the government deciding to ban the trade of their feathers to protect the national bird, nearly five decades after it got the exclusive tag.

Although the government does not have data on the population of the national bird, its number is said to be dwindling because of its poaching for feathers, which fetch a good price in national and international markets.

The only stock-taking of peacock population in India done by World Wide Fund for nature in 1991 had revealed that India was left with only 50% of the total peacock population that existed at the time of Independence. Government officials and animal activists believe that the number has come down further since 1991 because of habitat loss and poaching.

Alarmed by the rising demand of feathers --- popularly known as morpankh --- having outstripped naturally shed feathers available, the environment ministry has decided for a complete clamp down on sale, purchase and transport of peacock feathers.

"A decision has been taken to ban trade of peacock feather," environment and forest minister Jayanthi Natarajan told HT.

Trade of naturally shed peacock feathers is allowed under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which although prohibits killing of the bird. The loophole in the law has been misused and had lead to rampant killing of the bird across India for highly lucrative feather business. With the limited staff, the forest departments have found it difficult to check their poaching.

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