The Maldives government has penalised six individuals of Meemu atoll Muli island with a total of over MVR 150,000 for the illegal capture of protected birds.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Energy, four people were penalised MVR 96,000 last Thursday for capturing eight protected birds while another two in the same island were penalised MVR 60,500.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had first taken action against the illegal capture of protected birds last December. A person who had captured birds including sandpipers, turnstones and owls was penalised MVR 200,000.
The then Director General of EPA Mohamed Naeem had stated high penalties are given to illegal capture of birds due to spikes in their capture despite repeated warnings to halt the act.
Sign In