Qatar to set up more animal breeding farms
Plans are afoot to set up a large venue where animals bred in Qatar could be brought over for exhibition and sale, according to a senior Environment Ministry official.
New policies are being put in place to encourage the setting up of more animal breeding farms across the country.
Instead of people owning such farms, they would be able to take land for the purpose from the government on lease, said Omer Salem Hamad Al Nuaimi, Director of Environment Protection and Rehabilitation.
“Studies in this regard are on,” he added. Al Nuaimi said it is also being studied if breeders could be allowed to open shops on their farms.
Major and internal roads will be developed for easy access in areas where farms will be built in large numbers.
Inspections are going on to see if the existing breeding farms are following rules and regulations and whether they are licensed.
One of the key jobs of his department is to catch violations of environment protection rules, Al Nuaimi said, adding this year some 350 violations have been caught.
These included cases of people carrying petrol in water tankers without licence. Those who transport diesel and petrol without licence can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to QR100,000.
Such cases are transferred to public prosecution for interrogation and filing charges.
Al Nuaimi said waste dumping rules were also flouted.
Waste, including construction waste, can be dumped only in designated areas and the fine for such violations range from QR5,000 to QR50,000.
According to Al Nuaimi, many violations take place due to a lack of awareness about rules regarding environment protection.
He said his department also cracks down on illegal campers during winter and those who catch birds using devices that create the sounds of birds.
People can contact the department on hotline 998 and lodge complaints if they see any violation, he added.
Awesome move