An airgun discharges only a single small pellet at a time, resulting in a strictly limited range and target area. In stark contrast, a single 12-gauge shotgun cartridge sprays dozens of lead pellets across a wide spread, targeting entire flocks of birds airborne or on the water. A single shot can instantly kill dozens of birds while leaving many others fatally wounded and suffering.
This magnitude of destruction is clearly visible in field reports and photographs showing over a hundred game birds—including partridges, ducks, and rare migratory species—arrayed across vehicle hoods and ground plots. Such large-scale depletion is physically impossible to execute with airguns; it is the direct consequence of the unchecked, widespread use of 12-gauge shotguns and semi-automatic firearms.
Every year, millions of migratory birds travel thousands of miles from Siberia and other cold northern regions to seek shelter in Punjab’s wetlands and lakes. The unregulated use of 12-gauge shotguns leads to the mass slaughter of these winter guests. This unchecked destruction not only devastates local ecosystems and fragile biodiversity but also severely damages the country’s international standing in global environmental and wildlife conservation efforts.
