Flutter over quails
The Japanese quail is at the epicentre of a row between the agriculture ministry and the ministry of environment and forests (MEF). The quails were introduced in India during the '70s and were being utilised as a rural development pursuit. But MEF has now thrown a spanner in the works: it does not differentiate between the Japanese quail and its Indian counterpart. This has resulted in the arrest of several quail farmers under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Agriculture ministry officials argue that the Japanese quail is a domesticated variety and genetically different from their indigenous cousins. These birds, they say, are less prone to diseases and their trade is highly-profitable. Quail meat fetches Rs 120 per kg in the Delhi market, as against Rs 65 for poultry. Besides, the introduction of the Japanese variety has reduced the pressure on the Indian quail, prized as a delicacy and for its apparent curative properties.
While the agriculture ministry is trying to establish that these quails do not form a part of wildlife, MEF officials are having difficulties differentiating between the 2 very similar varieties. For the present, the Bareilly-based Central Avian Research Institute is acting as a mediator between the 2 in an attempt to resolve the crisis.