Master plan in the making to manage dog population on St Martin's: Adviser Rizwana
The initiative aims to balance biodiversity conservation of St Martin's Island
The government has initiated measures to manage the dog population on St Martin's Island as part of its efforts to conserve its environment and biodiversity, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
In this regard, "a master plan will be developed, with collaboration from relevant government and non-government organisations", reads an environment ministry press statement citing the adviser.
Rizwana made the announcement while addressing a session titled "Dog Population Census and KAP Survey to Conserve the Number of Olive Ridley Turtles and Ensure Biodiversity on St Martin's Island," held at the Forest Building in Agargaon, Dhaka today (22 January)
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Speakers at the event included Chief Conservator of Forests Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Department of Livestock Director Md Abu Sufian.
Rubaiya Ahmad, founder of Obhoyaronno, an animal welfare organisation, presented the keynote paper, "Dogs of Saint Martin's Island - Their Present and Future."
In her presentation, Rubaiya Ahmad outlined a phased Dog Population Management (DPM) programme starting in February 2025.
The first phase involves creating a policy framework to regulate feeding, restrict the entry of new pets, and ensure the sterilisation of household pets. Public awareness campaigns focusing on humane behaviour around dogs, especially targeting children, will follow.
Subsequent phases include spaying and neutering 50% of the dog population by May 2025, implementing a registered feeding program during the monsoon, and sterilizing 90% of the population by November 2025. By 2026, all female dogs will be spayed, and by 2030, 100% sterilization of the dog population is expected.
These efforts aim to balance biodiversity conservation with humane dog population management, ensuring the protection of Olive Ridley turtles and the ecosystem of St Martin's Island.
