LAHORE - The number of migratory birds coming from up north and Siberia early winter every year has gone down drastically in recent years. The Punjab government disregarding this important factor has again this year announced hunting season of the waterfowl, partridge and see see. To arrest the fears of conservationists it has, however, reduced the period by six weeks. The ducks shooting has been allowed from October 15, 2008 to February 15, 2009 while the shooting of partridge (grey and black) and see see has been allowed from November 15 to February 15 next year. Usually every year the hunting starts from October 15 and continues till March 31. More than 20,000 ordinary shooting licences are issued every year while the number of special shooting licences for hunting in reserves is not more than one thousand. Licence fee for ordinary shooting is Rs 300 only.  Hunting shooting will be allowed only on Sunday with bag limit 10 ducks per day per gun while partridge grey and black 6 birds per day per gun and See see will be allowed to bag 5 birds per day per gun. Netting of birds has been strictly prohibited. Special staff would be deputed during the hunting season to check netting by poachers. Those found involved in netting would be arrested and also fined.   Sources in the Punjab Wildlife Department said the hunting season has been reduced not to arrest the fears of conservationists but due to the fact that the number of birds would fall drastically by that time. "The number of birds coming here for winters has been falling for some years. The water situation is not good. They will not stay here for long in the changed environment. There is urgent need for forestation efforts as well as maintenance of water reservoirs. Pollution in water bodies has increased. The habitats of birds are continuously shrinking as human settlements and tilled land increases. Every year a number of birds are killed due to pesticide spray in the fields near the water bodies. The birds graze in the fields and fall victim to pesticides," sources explained. Following tehsils of the Punjab shall remain closed for the partridge hunting, i.e. Hassan Abdal, Jand, Rawalpindi, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta, Texila, Kalar Syedain, Gujar Khan, Murree, Choa Saiden Shah, Kalar Kahar, Jhelum, all tehsils of Sargodha district, all Tehsils of Khushab, Mianwali, Piplan, Bhakkar, Mankera, Kallurkot, Gujrat, Kharian, Mandi Bahaudin, Malikwal, Gujranwala, Wazirabad, Hafizabad, Sialkot, Daska, Narowal, all tehsils of Narowal & Shakargarh, Ferozewala, Muridkey, Nankana Sahib, Safdrabad, all tehsils of Lahore districts, Kasur, Patokey, Okara, Rinala Khurd, Faisalabad city , Jaranwala, Tandalianwala, Faisalabad Sadar, Chak Jumra, Gojra and T.T.Singh, Jhang, Shorkot, Chichawatni, Pakpattan, Khanewal, Mian Channu, Vehari, Malsi, Lodhran, Karor Pacca, Multan city and Sadar, Jalalpur, Peerwala, all tehsils of Bahawalpur, Ahmadapur, East Hasilpur, Yazman, Kherpur, Tamianwali, Bahawalnagar, all tehsils of Bahawalnagar, Fort Abbas, Chishtian, Haroonabad, Minchanabad, Rahim Yar Khan, all tehsils of Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad, Khanpur , Liaqatpur, all tehsils of Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu, all Tehsils of D.G.Khan, and all tehsils of Rajanpur.