News Highlight
Regressive policing allowed by the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill and other forest legislation hinders the full and beneficial scope of the Forest Rights Act.
Key Takeaway
- Numerous wild animal and plant species have been protected by the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), which forbids all forms of hunting.
- The amendment further invests in the notion of protected regions and species by adding newer species to be protected and strengthening the associated penalties.
- Since its inception, the need for criminal laws to aid wildlife conservation has gone unchallenged.
Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2022
- The Rajya Sabha recently passed the Wildlife (Protection), Amendment Bill, 2022, which modifies the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 and gives effect to India’s CITES obligations.
- Key amendments proposed by the Amendment Bill
- Firstly, the insertion of a new schedule for specimens listed in the Appendices under the CITES, a global agreement that requires countries to regulate listed specimens through permits.
- Section 6 amendment to create a Standing Committee to exercise powers and duties delegated to it by the State Board for Wildlife.
- In addition, the Amendment to Section 43 permits the use of elephants (protected under Schedule I) for “religious or other purposes.”
- The newly introduced Section 49F empowers the Central Government to appoint a Scientific Authority to advise on the impact of trade on species’ survival.
- The Bill also allows state and federal governments to designate areas adjacent to national parks and sanctuaries.
- According to the Bill, the Management Authority must issue a registration certificate to anyone who owns live specimens of scheduled animals.
Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
- The Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 establishes a legal framework for the protection of various species, including
- Wild animals and plants, habitat management, and regulating and controlling trade are derived from them.
- The act also includes schedules of plants and animals that are protected and monitored by the government to varying degrees.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
- About
- CITES is a voluntary international agreement to which states and regional economic integration organisations agree.
- CITES was created due to a resolution passed by members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1963.
- To ensure that international trade in wild animal and plant specimens does not endanger their survival.
- Furthermore, the Conference of the Parties to CITES is the Convention’s supreme decision-making body and comprises all of its Parties.
- Functions of the Convention
- Firstly, the CITES operates by subjecting international trade in specimens of specific species to specific controls.
- In addition, the import, export, re-export, and introduction of species are covered by the Convention.
- Each Party to the Convention must appoint one or more Management Authorities to oversee the licencing system.
- The Convention’s Appendices I, II, and III contain lists of species with different levels of protection from over-exploitation.
CITES contributions
- For the past 42 years, CITES has been at the forefront of the debate over the sustainable use of biodiversity.
- And its databases contain records of over 12,000,000 international trade transactions.
- Additionally, CITES governs international trade in nearly 35,000 plant and animal species.
- Furthermore, many species are being driven to extinction due to illegal activity.
- It denies local people development options and government potential revenue.
Way Forward
- Future legislation must be aligned with international standards while considering regional ecological requirements.
- The definition of invasive alien species must include invasive native species.
- Furthermore, adopting the correct definition is the most fundamental step in steering the discussion in the right direction.
Pic Courtesy: Down to Earth
Content Source: The Hindu