Pakistan has been fighting for a long time with the gradual disappearance of its rare wildlife species due to a lethal mixture of humans induced by humans, including habitat destruction, the decrease in water resources, pollution and poaching.
Among these missing species is in the in danger of the Fishing Cat, which is mainly found in the Delta del Río Indo and the surrounding damping areas, where its numbers have fallen dramatically in recent decades.
The loss of habitat, food shortages, hunting and growing human populations have significantly affected this weird cat, which plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of aquatic ecosystems, according to experts.
“The last two decades have seemed disastrous for this environmental animal animal, mainly due to the destruction of wetlands and murders by local people,” Saeed-Ul-Islam, an expert in Pakistani wildlife, told Anadolu Saeed-Islam.
Although official surveys have not yet determined the precise figures, Islam explained that conservative estimates suggest that the population of the cat in Pakistan has decreased by more than 50% in the last two decades.
Worldwide, the population of fishing cats has decreased approximately 30% since 2010, and the animal has been listed as vulnerable in the red list of the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN) since 2016.
In addition to decreasing water levels, the deterioration of water quality has exacerbated the difficult situation of these animals.
“The deterioration of water quality due to unreasonable water that flows directly to the bodies of water, and the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, is also affecting conservation efforts,” Islam said.
The last surviving predator of the region
Specialists in wildlife consider that the fishing cat is the last major survivor of the flood plains of the Indo after the almost extinction of others, such as the ghales, the tigers and the leopards of the region.
“We have this last predator in the Flood Plains of the Indo that greatly contributes to keeping healthy aquatic animals healthy,” said Zafeer Ahmed Shaikh, head of the Indo Fishing Cat project (IFCP).
The IFCP, launched in 2021, is part of the global Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance initiative, which seeks to protect and preserve this rare species. The project involves local communities, government authorities and wildlife organizations to support conservation efforts.
Before 2020, the Indo fishing cat in the list of Pakistan IUCN countries remained uncertain, which suggests that the species was about to extinction, according to Shaikh.
“We were (IFCP) who told the world that this animal not only exists in Pakistan, but its distribution range has spread to the river areas of Sindh and the provinces of Baluchistan through the network of the channel,” said Shaikh.
In addition to the Delta del Indo, there have been recent sightings in the districts of Jaffarabad and Jhal Magsi in the province of southwest Baluchistan.
Challenges to determine exact numbers
Shaikh recognized the difficulty in determining the exact number of the population due to the lack of comprehensive surveys of government agencies or wildlife.
“We cannot give any specific number about its population in Pakistan. But one thing is safe: its number has been reduced due to the reduction of wetlands and water bodies,” he said.
“That is why it is difficult to fix its current state, but it can be described safely as ‘almost in danger’, considering the circumstances given.”
Shaikh acknowledged that, although IFCP has marked “a small difference” by increasing fishing cat numbers, “it is a long way to go.”
Kamal Palari, a community worker involved with the conservation efforts of IFCP in the Thatta District of Sindh, said a significant reduction in hunting incidents that involve fishing cat in recent years.
“The locals, especially farmers, would kill them because they falsely believed that this cat was a threat to their cattle and crops,” Palari told Anadolu.
However, he said that the awareness campaigns launched by IFCP and a greater participation of the community have led to a remarkable decrease in such cases.
Shaikh also clarified that the “very rare” fishing cat attacks goats and has no capacity to significantly threaten cattle herds.
Balance of aquatic ecosystems
Mumtaz Soomro, deputy director of the Department of Wildlife of Sindh, believes that the strict laws for the protection of wildlife promulgated in 2020, which impose strong fines and sentences due to hunting of rare species, have further helped reduce fisheries’ murders.
Soomro said that the department has worked with local communities and wildlife groups in awareness campaigns to protect the cat, what he emphasized is “very important to keep marine life healthy.”
“We have almost lost leopards, tigers and other predators due to humans induced. We cannot afford to lose this last predator,” he said.
In addition to reducing wetlands, Islam cited overfishing by local communities as another critical reason for food shortage that affects the fishing cat.
He also emphasized the vital role of the fishing cat in the maintenance of ecological balance within the Indo Delta.
“The fishing cat is a kind of low wetlands and can survive not only in fish but also in supplementary foods such as crabs, rodents and birds. The cat catches only lazy animals and fish, helping to maintain the health of the remaining aquatic life,” Islam explained.
Shaikh echoed these points of view, underlining the role of the fishing cat in crop protection by controlling rodents and turtles.
“They control the population of small animals, so the ecosystem remains in balance,” he concluded.
