The government has initiated measures to manage the dog population on St Martin's Island to conserve its environment and biodiversity, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said today.

Speaking as the chief guest at 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, the adviser said that a master plan will be developed in collaboration with relevant government and non-government organisations.

Key speakers at the event included Amir Hossain Chowdhury, chief conservator of forests, and Md Abu Sufian, director of the Department of Livestock. Rubaiya Ahmad, founder of the animal welfare organisation Obhoyaronno, presented the keynote paper titled "Dogs of Saint Martin's Island - Their Present and Future."

In her presentation, Rubaiya outlined a phased Dog Population Management (DPM) programme set to begin in February 2025.

The first phase focuses on creating a policy framework to regulate feeding, restrict the entry of new pets, and ensure the sterilisation of household dogs.

Public awareness campaigns, particularly targeting children, will promote humane behaviour towards dogs.

Subsequent phases include spaying and neutering 50 percent of the dog population by May 2025, implementing a registered feeding programme during the monsoon, and achieving 90 percent sterilisation by November 2025.

By 2026, all female dogs on the island are expected to be spayed, with full sterilisation of the dog population anticipated by 2030.

These initiatives aim to balance biodiversity conservation with humane management of the dog population, ensuring the protection of Olive Ridley turtles and the unique ecosystem of St Martin's Island.