Erbil to establish new wildlife protection areas to international standards

ERBIL, Iraq — The Erbil Directorate of Environment is preparing to establish new natural wildlife protection areas in the Kurdistan Region in line with international standards, the directorate's head, Delshad Herani, said. Herani said illegal poaching has fallen noticeably across the region and that public environmental consciousness has grown visibly. He described the Barzan and Balqayti areas as leading examples, noting that they host rare animals, bird species and protected vegetation. Herani warned that illegal hunting has depleted wild and aquatic ecosystems beyond the natural regenerative capacity of living species, disrupting ecological balance and contributing to the disappearance of certain species. He said fish and wildlife populations have declined sharply. According to the director, conservation measures have already allowed rare species such as the wild goat to reproduce again in the Zorche Ziraw area and on the Erbil plain. No further details on the planned reserves were immediately available.