Rajya Sabha passed the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill which was cleared by Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session.
Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: The Act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants with a view to ensuring the ecological and environmental security of the country. Currently, the Act has Six Schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four), and vermin species (one). It empowers the State to declare protected areas, under four categories - National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Community Reserves and Conservation Reserves.
Features of the Amendment Bill:
- The Bill amends the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 by increasing the species protected under the law.
- It substitutes the definition of ‘Tiger and other Endangered Species’ to ‘Wild Life’.
- This Bill includes flora, fauna and aqua under its protection.
- The Bill also regulates wildlife trade as per the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
- There are 50 amendments to the Act proposed in the Bill.
- The Bill aims to implement CITES - which regulates the trade in plant and animal specimens with other governments, without threatening the survival of the species.
- Regulating the possession of specimens, the Bill defines ‘specimen’ as any animal or plant (dead or alive).
- It also constitutes a Management authority which will issue permits for the trade of scheduled specimens in accordance with CITES.
- The Bill prohibits any person from modifying or removing the identification mark of the specimen made by the Management authority and every person possessing live specimens of scheduled animals must obtain a registration certificate.
- The Centre will appoint a Chief Wildlife Warden who processes applications for breeding in captivity or artificially propagating any scheduled specimen. He/ She is empowered to refuse or cancel the registration of an applicant in case of violations.
- The Bill seeks to empower the Centre to regulate or prohibit the import, trade, possession or proliferation of plant or animal species not native to India - invasive alien species.
- Apart from states, the Centre too can notify a conservation reserve — an area adjacent to national parks and sanctuaries.
- The Bill reduces the total number of Schedules to four by: Schedule I for species that will enjoy the highest level of protection. Schedule II for species that will be subject to a lesser degree of protection. Schedule III that covers plants. It removes the Schedule for vermin species. (Vermin refers to small animals that carry diseases and destroy food)
Modifications Suggested by Parliamentary Standing Committee:
- The Parliamentary Committee recommended the deletion of the exemption clause which allowed the transfer of captive animals, allowing the transfer or transport of live elephants by a person having a certificate of ownership and argued that a “careful balance” between traditions and conservation was needed".
- It proposed constituting a Standing Committee of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL), comprising at least one-third of non-official members, at least three institutional members and the Director of the Wildlife Institute of India or a nominee.
- The Committee also noted that several species were missing in all three Schedules and that the Bill fails to address “human-animal conflict”. To remedy this, the Committee has recommended a Human Animal Conflict Advisory Committee — headed by the Chief Wildlife Warden — to suggest mitigation strategies such as changing cropping patterns and drawing up site-specific plans.