PINARAYI'S BACKING FOR CONTROL OF WILDLIFE NUMBERS STIRS ROW

Church, farmers welcome suggestion, while activists call for scientific justification, legal scrutiny

- MANOJ VISWANATHAN @kochi

AT A time when the state is witnessing a spike in wild animal attacks, which have claimed 26 lives this year, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's statement advocating controlled culling of wild pigs has ignited a debate on balancing human development with wildlife conservation.

While the Church and farmers have welcomed the CM's suggestion on controlled culling, conservation activists are demanding a moratorium on any policy proposal involving wildlife hunting or population control unless preceded by rigorous scientific justification and full legal scrutiny.

Animal-rights activists are demanding steps to restore wildlife habitats by converting forest plantations into natural forest and raising barriers to stop wild animals from entering human habitations.

Welcoming the CM's statement, Thalassery archbishop Joseph Pamplany said it vindicates the Church stand.