‘Silent Extermination’ in The Marshes of Iraq as Watchdog Warns of Mass Loss of Migratory Birds
Green Iraq Observatory warned that illegal hunting in Iraq’s southern marshes has killed or displaced about 1,000 migratory birds in one month, urging tougher enforcement against poachers.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Marshes of southern Iraq, long regarded as a sanctuary for migratory birds, are facing what environmental monitors describe as a “silent extermination,” as unchecked poaching threatens to erase a vital ecological refuge.
The Green Iraq Observatory issued a sharply worded warning on Saturday, cautioning that migratory birds in Iraq’s marshes are being subjected to what it described as massacres. The organization said approximately 1,000 birds have been killed or gone missing during the current month alone as a result of rampant illegal hunting.
In a press statement, the observatory explained that migratory birds travel thousands of kilometers to escape the freezing conditions of polar and cold regions, finding the marshes of southern Iraq among the world’s warmest and most suitable environments for nesting and breeding.
That natural haven, the statement said, has instead been transformed into a zone of indiscriminate hunting, where birds are captured using nets and environmentally prohibited methods, in blatant disregard of repeated warnings issued by the Interior Ministry and other relevant authorities.
The observatory strongly criticized the performance of the Ministry of Environment and the environmental police, arguing that enforcement efforts have been largely limited to pursuing street vendors in Baghdad’s well-known Ghazal Market or local markets elsewhere, while the actual hunters operating deep inside the marshes remain beyond accountability.
Questioning the effectiveness of such measures, the statement asked: “What is the fate of the confiscated birds? If they are released, what guarantees exist that they will not be hunted again immediately upon returning to the marshes?”
The observatory noted that the trade in hunted birds is no longer confined to visible markets, but has shifted toward what it described as “secret commerce,” conducted away from regulatory oversight.
It warned that the continuation of this aggressive approach toward wildlife has already begun to alter migration routes, with rare bird species increasingly avoiding Iraqi airspace after years of repeated targeting.
According to the statement, Iraq is thereby losing a global natural asset. The annual migration had previously attracted international documentary filmmakers and research centers tracking migratory patterns, placing Iraq’s environmental reputation at stake in international forums.
The Green Iraq Observatory concluded by calling for a shift in security focus from local markets to the heart of hunting areas in the marshes, the enforcement of strict penalties against hunters using mass-killing methods, and tighter monitoring of clandestine routes used to sell and trade birds slaughtered and marketed as banquets, in what it described as a flagrant violation of international environmental laws.