UAE authority confiscates 65 sandfish lizards

The Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) in Sharjah has confiscated 65 sandfish lizards (eastern skinks) in an effort to preserve them.

The lizards were seized in the Al Bataeh area near Khorfakkan Road.

The EPAA confirms its role and efforts in protecting the wild environment and preserving its wealth from wrong practices. It aims to provide the most appropriate conditions for the breeding season.

Earlier this year, the authority confiscated 755 bird sound devices that are used to attract birds and hunt them down. It also rescued 10 migratory birds. The EPAA issued fines worth Dh40,000 for four violations during the 2023 wild bird migratory season.

Hunters use the illegal devices that emit sounds to attract birds. Poachers then set up nets to capture the birds. Some also release birds of prey such as falcons to hunt — a practice that is illegal.

In Sharjah, the Executive Council had prohibited the hunting of wild and migratory birds. Another decision bans trading, selling, possessing, using, and importing devices that produce the sounds of wild birds.

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• UAE
• Sharjah