The death of thousands of migratory birds in the Miankaleh wetland may have been intentional.

The cause of the death of thousands of migratory birds in the Miankaleh International Wetland is unknown. Officials say they are examining all options: from illegal fishermen to botulism. Miankaleh has been repeatedly wounded by wetland poachers in the past.

The cause of the death of hundreds of migratory birds that spend the winter in the Miankaleh International Wetland is still unknown. In the latest comments on this matter, the deputy director of health and prevention of the Iranian Veterinary Organization has announced the possibility of the birds dying due to botulism toxin. Safarali Makanali, who spoke about this in a press conference, said that the source of production of this toxin is “probably the roots of rotten plants.”

The deputy head of the Veterinary Organization, referring to the presence of veterinary teams in the region who are “conducting field inspections and sampling,” estimated the number of birds killed at around 2,000, according to reports. However, citing “past experiences” and “bird behavior,” the health official predicted that the number of deaths could rise to 5,000.

He ruled out the possibility of the birds being infected with Newcastle disease and influenza, and announced that the final results of the tests on the cause of death will be announced within the next week.

Since Wednesday of last week, the carcasses of a number of migratory birds were observed in the Miankaleh wetland by local people and the regional conservation guard. Given the unusual nature of the losses and the uncertainty of the cause of the birds' deaths, based on reports from local sites, the operation to collect the carcasses, bury them hygienically, and take samples from them was immediately started by the responsible organizations such as the Provincial Environment Department and the Veterinary Department.

According to the Director General of the Mazandaran Environment Department, the carcasses of 1,800 wild birds have been collected and buried in the Miankaleh International Wetland so far. However, this official believes that the death toll is higher.

“Possibility of water poisoning by illegal hunters and fishermen”

Hossein Ali Ebrahimi Karnami, Director General of the Environment Department of Mazandaran, in an interview with IRNA, announced the cooperation of veterinary and environmental experts from Mazandaran Province and the Environment Organization, along with the Veterinary Organization of the country, to "detailedly investigate this bitter environmental incident."

The Director General of the Environment of Mazandaran, rejecting the hypothesis of deaths due to seasonal influenza and even Newcastle disease, speaks of examining all possible options until the cause of the bird deaths is determined, based on tests conducted.

According to local news agencies, the Environment Ministry, along with the Mazandaran Veterinary Department, are investigating algae and plankton poisoning as one of the possible scenarios that played a role in the death of wild birds in the Miankaleh wetland. However, in addition to examining this option, officials are not ruling out the possibility that illegal fishermen and hunters and "wetland eaters" were involved.

Hossein Ali Ebrahimi Karnami points to the possibility of water poisoning by some illegal hunters and fishermen, saying: "If there is any clue that illegal hunters are involved in this matter, we will definitely submit this case to the judicial system so that the violators can be dealt with legally."

10 liters of pesticide is the price of opposing illegal fishing.

The suspicious bird deaths in the Miankaleh wetland are reminiscent of a similar incident in Mazandaran in the late 1990s. The Director General of the Environment of Mazandaran said in an interview with “Shahrvand” about those days: “The environment had taken away the illegal hunters’ catches, and in retaliation, the hunters poured several tens of liters of citrus pesticide into the wetland, which killed several hundred thousand birds and caused the wetland to stink for months.”

Miankaleh Wetland and the Tale of the Wetlands Eaters

In recent years, illegal encroachment on the Miankaleh wetland and lands has intensified.

Last summer, environmental organizations in Mazandaran province reported the seizure of more than 2,000 hectares of land in the Miankaleh International Wildlife Sanctuary and Wetland. According to reports, this seizure was carried out illegally by some land grabbers and farmers on the outskirts of this biosphere reserve. The legal department of the Mazandaran General Environment Department confirmed the seizure of land at the time and announced the sending of the first complaint to the Behshahr County Courthouse.

The attraction of the lands of this region of Mazandaran and the invasion of land-grabbers was to such an extent that in recent years it resulted in a series of deliberate fires. According to local websites, these fires reduced about 400 hectares of land in this migratory bird habitat to ashes last year alone. Although Mazandaran officials and environmental experts have confirmed the involvement of land-grabbers in the fires, they do not have significant evidence to prove it.

Miankaleh Wetland, a Treasure in Northern Iran

Miankaleh has two aquatic environments with an area of ​​45 thousand hectares, including the Gulf and the Miankaleh Lagoon, and a land area with an area of ​​about 24 thousand hectares, and constitutes approximately three percent of the total area of ​​Mazandaran. More than one million birds of 230 species live in the Miankaleh region. This lagoon is one of the valuable habitats of migratory and native aquatic birds.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the entire area, covering approximately 100,000 hectares, was designated a protected area under the management of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1969. In 1975, it was upgraded to a wildlife sanctuary, partly due to its attraction to rare and endangered species of migratory waterfowl. The entire Miankaleh Wildlife Sanctuary was recognized as a “biosphere reserve” by UNESCO’s MAB program in 1976. Miankaleh was also registered as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1975.

Source: DW