Muscat: Oman has imposed a dusk-to-dawn ban on visitors at nature reserves on Masirah Island to deter poachers from targeting the endangered Masirah gazelle.
The restrictions were issued on Sunday by Sayyid Hamoud Bin Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs. It bars all people without valid entry permits from entering the protected reserves from 6pm to 6am.
Masirah Island, off the sultanate's east coast, is home to a diverse species of birds, mammals and other wildlife. It also hosts one of the largest populations of endangered Loggerhead turtles.
Worry
But the biggest worry for wildlife conservation officials is the well-being of the Masirah gazelle, a highly endangered native species of this island. Environmental experts have been able to garner very little about this timid animal. Sightings are rare, and some believe that these creatures are on the verge of extinction on the island.
The Ministry's top wildlife conservation official, Ali Bin Amer Al Kiyumi, told the Oman News Agency (ONA) that the dusk-to-dawn entry ban was intended to deter would-be poachers who tend to prowl at night. Offenders will be subject to fines and prison terms set out under the Natural Reserves and Wildlife Conservation Law promulgated by Sultani Decree 6/2003, he added.
Oman has been toughening laws to fight poachers who have been a menace to the country's protected wildlife. The Arabian Oryx, a symbol of the sultanate's internationally acclaimed conservation efforts, has seen its numbers nearly halve over the past five years at the hands of poachers.
Two years ago, five citizens were sent to prison for hunting the protected Arabian gazelle. In December 2003, authorities convicted a gang of 11 who were found hunting in the restricted Arabian Oryx reserve.
