TEHRAN – The ban on hunting in all areas and forest lands of the northern provinces of the country has been extended for another five years, head of Golestan province’s department of environment has said.

Based on viewpoints of experts from specialized working groups and the approval of the relevant organizations, the decision was taken with the aim of protecting the wildlife of the forests of northern Iran in the provinces of Golestan, Gilan and Mazandaran, Mohammad Reza Kanani told IRNA on Saturday.

“We do not have accurate statistics on hunting weapons, not even the permitted ones in Golestan province.”

Pointing to the issuance of temporary bird hunting licenses in some periods last year, he said that last year (ended on March 20), 3,000 bird hunting licenses were issued in non-forested areas of Golestan.

Bird hunting in Golestan is mostly done in the wetlands of the northern part of the province but in a limited way by observing environmental protocols.

Spanning from the south of Azerbaijan to about 850 km eastward to the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan, the Hyrcanian Forests are witnesses of the ancient forests of the world estimated to be survived for a long period spanning 35 and 50 million years.

Designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in December 2019, the Hyrcanian Forest contains very rich ecosystems due to the particular orographic and climatic situation (precipitation rich, warm-temperate, high moisture from the Caspian Sea and damming effect of the Alborz Mountain range).

According to UNESCO, the forest contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity with 69 mammal species and 304 bird species, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. It also contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.

FB/MG