Bird hunting should stop

It has become almost impossible for migratory birds to survive a flight over Luoxiao Mountain in Hunan province, because hundreds of people are ready with guns to shoot them down for money, says an article in Beijing News. Excerpts:

The brutal hunting of migratory birds on the Luoxiao Mountain is going on because the hunters earn lucrative amounts during the two- to three-month migratory period. But it's surprising that local supervision departments seem helpless to deal with this brutality.

The truth is that local forestry officials and police are shirking responsibility, because they can stop the brutal killing of birds if they strengthen joint law enforcement. For a change, they can stop the selling and buying of migratory birds in local markets, and impose heavy fines on people indulging in such activities.

According to the Wild Animal Protection Law, anyone who catches, kills, sells, purchases, transports or carries wildlife under special State or local protection should be fined or prosecuted. So local officials can stop the killings if they implement the law strictly.

Also, why don't local officials take action even when it's well known that bird hunters use unlicensed guns?

(China Daily 10/24/2012 page9)