'Hunting ethics' disappearing: Homemade firearms replacing traditional equipment among Nagaland tribes

Guwahati: Hunting of wildlife by using traditional equipment is a part of life for many tribes in Nagaland. But what may worry conservationists more is a recent study which shows that handmade firearms are replacing most traditional hunting methods.

The traditional "hunting ethics" are also disappearing among villagers near two important forests in the state.

A survey carried out in Intanki National Park and Khelia community forest in Nagaland found that there is a widespread use of handmade firearms by communities engaged in hunting in the forests.

"Homemade firearms are often acquired without an official gun license, making them convenient for hunters; although less reliable than commercial firearms, their affordability and accessibility make them a popular choice. Guns reduce both the energy and time required for hunting compared to traditional methods, and also enable hunters to target larger mammals that provide a higher yield of meat," the study report said which was published in Oryx – The International Journal of Conservation, recently.

The two-year investigation, between 2020 and 2022, was led by researchers from the University of Newcastle, Australia, and the Wildlife Institute of India. Satem Longchar, Manjari Roy, Qamar Qureshi and Matt H Hayward are the authors of the research paper.

The team used 156 camera traps and interviewed 45 hunters, 80 village residents, including village headmen and documented the widespread use of both traditional and modern hunting methods, including firearms, snares and pitfall traps.

The team said that the preference for selective hunting of large-bodied mammals, especially using firearms, raises concerns for the tribes.

"This preference also indirectly affects large carnivores such as tigers (Panthera tigris) which predate on large-bodied mammals and are limited by the availability of their preferred prey. Although hunters now seldom use bow and arrows or spears, but traps and snares remain popular amongst children, facilitating capture of smaller mammals and birds for both sport and consumption."

The interviews with village headmen revealed that the Naga tribes in the past had used a variety of weapons such as machetes, spears, bows and arrows, slings and catapults. "We also recorded frog trapping and poisoning using plant toxins and the creeper."

The survey found that the hunters prefer large animals such as barking deer, wild boar, bears, red serow and gaur.

Hunting ethics

The team said that a decline in experienced old hunters has reduced adherence to traditional "hunting ethics", such as respecting seasonal hunting restrictions during breeding periods and refraining from hunting certain protected species.

"The practice of offering hunted wildlife products to influential community members is growing, further fostering unsustainable hunting. Unsustainable hunting and habitat loss have led to local perceptions of wildlife declines, especially in areas where conservation is not considered a priority. Lack of incentives for conservation is hindering community-based conservation activities," it said.

Community ownership of land and the special powers which Nagaland enjoys are also among the challenges in conservation efforts, the team added.