{"id":31964,"date":"2013-04-07T18:18:44","date_gmt":"2013-04-07T10:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/?p=31964"},"modified":"2023-06-24T17:18:37","modified_gmt":"2023-06-24T09:18:37","slug":"mist-netting-one-full-circle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2013\/04\/07\/mist-netting-one-full-circle\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a9 Mist-Netting \u2013One Full Circle"},"content":{"rendered":"
“Mist-netting was first invented by the Japanese in the 16th Century \u2013 their purpose was mainly to catch birds for food.<\/p>\n
“The West eventually caught on this style of catching birds in the 1920\u2019s – but for a different reason. Bat biologists and ornithologists began to use this method for the sole purpose to supplement visual and auditory observations in their scientific field studies. (Please refer websites on \u2018Mist-netting\u2019 for more details.)<\/p>\n
“In the hands of highly skilled personals who are well trained to set up mist-nets and to handle entangled birds in the scientific field, this method of collecting birds have shown positive results. Its mortality rate and statistics papered out in recent studies did show enough evidence to suggest or tried to convince die-hard bird conservationists that mist-netting isn\u2019t that bad and cruel after all in comparison. <\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n “Some countries have legislation laws prohibiting the use of mist-netting methods by the lay men. Such usage requires specific permits from Wildlife Protection Departments and Malaysia is listed as one of them.<\/p>\n “Effective enforcement however, is another matter.<\/p>\n “How have this technique got out of hand? Today, we still find mist-nets easily available and commonly seen strewn alongside bunds in paddy fields.<\/p>\n “Let\u2019s visit a paddy field on mainland Penang, Malaysia where acres of paddy fields are also slowly losing its grip to development (left).<\/p>\n “When I first began birding, I was made to believe mist-nets were set up by paddy field owners during the pre-harvesting season, to reduce the number of seed-eaters such as weaver birds, warblers etc. that ate their investment crops away. <\/p>\n “As field birding experience grew and saw bird population\u2019s plummeted, I suspected that apart from habitat loss, while some seed eaters were left to die hanging on those mist-nets, some entered the pet trade; selective birds would also be on the cooking pot\u2019s list.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/a><\/p>\n “During one of my birding visits in November 2012, I found a live waterbird \u2013 a Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis<\/em>) caught in one of the mist-nets and was struggling to get free. (above).<\/p>\n “The discarded paddy field was waterlogged and overgrown with tall reeds and unapproachable to attempt a rescue. It would also be unwise of me, as a visiting guest, to be seen as interfering villagers\u2019 life style whose interests and objectives differed mine.<\/p>\n