- Title: Gazans snare migrating quails to earn a living
- Date: 20th October 2016
- Summary: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MAN FIXING NET DURING SUNRISE NET ON KHAN YOUNIS BEACH VARIOUS OF TWO HUNTERS UNTANGLING COMMON QUAIL FROM NET HUNTER FROM KHAN YOUNIS, IBRAHIM AL-MAJAYDA, PUTTING BIRD IN CAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HUNTER FROM KHAN YOUNIS, IBRAHIM AL-MAJAYDA, SAYING: "We pray the Fajir (the dawn prayer) and we sit on the beach. We bought a net, as you can see, that is specifically used for common quail hunting, which we set it up on the beach. The common quail arrives from Europe and the Western areas. We sit and wait for them to come, the second they get tangled in the net we go and grab them." AL- MAJAYDA FIXING THE NET COMMON QUAILS IN CAGE MAN GRABBING COMMON QUAIL FROM CAGE MAN HOLDING BIRD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HUNTER FROM KHAN YOUNIS, ABED AL-SALAM AL-EQAD, SAYING: "We set up the net yearly starting from September until the 15th or the 20th of October, which is the common quails' migrating season. This year we didn't have many birds arriving our way because of the different directions of the wind." GAZA CITY, GAZA (OCTOBER 19, 2016) (REUTERS) DIRECTOR OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE'S ANIMAL PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT IN GAZA, TAHER ABU HAMAD, STANDING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE'S ANIMAL PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT IN GAZA, TAHER ABU HAMAD, SAYING: "Excessive hunting of the common quails could cause their decline. However, in regards to the Gaza Strip, its borders are limited, and the Gaza beaches are only 45 kilometres long. I don't believe that hunting on this length would impact the common quails' population." RAFAH, GAZA (OCTOBER 17, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COMMON QUAILS IN FARM OWNER OF COMMON QUAILS BIRD FARM IN RAFAH, RAED ABU HILLAL, CLOSING BIRD CAGE BIRDS IN CAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OWNER OF COMMON QUAIL BIRD FARM, RAED ABU HILLAL, SAYING: "These common quails have many benefits and there is a lot of demand for them all year long. There are people who love it and prefer it over Israeli chicken, because it is not fed any antibiotics, give them any kind of antibiotics and they will immediately die." ABU HILLAL OPERATING EGG INCUBATOR COMMON QUAILS IN INCUBATOR
- Embargoed: 4th November 2016 11:14
- Keywords: Gaza migrating birds hunting bird farm
- Location: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA CITY, RAFAH, GAZA
- City: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA CITY, RAFAH, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA00154T45ZP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:During migration season, Gaza hunters go to the beach to snare common quail making a stopover en route from Europe to Africa.
But while many hunters depend on this season to make a living in Gaza's struggling economy, some say a change in weather conditions has led to less birds arriving this year.
In September and October, hunters go to Khan Younis beach on the southern Gaza strip to catch and cage the creatures to sell.
One hunter, Ibrahim Al-Majayda, describes the trapping process, which begins at dawn.
"We pray the Fajir (the dawn prayer) and we sit on the beach. We bought a net, as you can see, that is specifically used for common quail hunting, which we set it up on the beach. The common quail arrives from Europe and the Western areas. We sit and wait for them to come, the second they get tangled in the net we go and grab them," he said.
Another hunter, Abed Al-Salam Al-Eqad, says that less birds have arrived this year because of a change in weather conditions.
"This year we didn't have many birds arriving our way because of the different directions of the wind," he said.
The director of the Ministry of Agriculture's animal production department, Taher Abu Hamad, says the birds' population is not under threat because of the relatively small trapping area.
"Excessive hunting of the common quails could cause their decline. However, in regards to Gaza Strip, its borders are limited, and the Gaza beaches are only 45 kilometres long. I don't believe that hunting on this length would impact the common quails' population," he said.
The owner of a common quail farm in Rafah, Raed Abu Hillal, explains why the birds are in high demand in Gaza.
"These common quails have many benefits and there is a lot of demand for them all year long. There are people who love it and prefer it over Israeli chicken, because it is not fed any antibiotics, give them any kind of antibiotics and they will immediately die," he said.
Gaza is cut off from the world under a blockade imposed by Egypt and Israel and the economy is in turmoil, with approximately 43 percent unemployment among the territory's 1.95 million people. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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