Environmental police arrest man for illegal wild bird hunting in Sulaymaniyah

SULAYMANIYAH — Environmental police arrested a man on Sunday in the Kenarwey village of Sharbazher for illegally trapping and hunting wild birds, authorities said.

Sulaymaniyah’s Forestry and Environment Police said its teams regularly patrol mountainous areas to protect wildlife. During a recent patrol, officers detained the suspect after discovering he had captured one live partridge and killed another. Police also confiscated his hunting equipment.

This arrest is part of ongoing efforts to crack down on illegal hunting. Authorities detained two poachers on Saturday in Sulaymaniyah’s Chamchamal district for capturing protected birds, seizing several live birds and additional hunting equipment.

Under the 2008 Environmental Protection and Improvement Law in the Kurdistan Region, hunting, capturing, or trading endangered species is strictly prohibited. Violators face penalties including up to one month in prison and fines ranging from 150,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately $100) to 200 million dinars (approximately $133,333), with harsher consequences for repeat offenders.

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