Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill

Context:

The Lok Sabha passed the Wildlife (Protection), Amendment Bill, with no significant modifications to the version of the Bill presented in the House for discussion.

Relevance:

GS III- Environment and Ecology

Dimensions of the Article:

1. About Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
2. Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill: Key Features

About Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

• WPA provides for the protection of the country’s wild animals, birds and plant species, in order to ensure environmental and ecological security.
• It provides for state wildlife advisory boards, regulations for hunting wild animals and birds,
• establishment of sanctuaries and national parks, regulations for trade in wild animals, animal products and trophies, and judicially imposed penalties for violating the Act.
• The act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants.
• It provides for protection of hunting rights of the Scheduled Tribes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• It has provisions for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
• It regulates the trade of wild animals, birds and plants.
• It has six schedules which give varying degrees of protection.
  • Species listed in Schedule I and part II of Schedule II get absolute protection — offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties.
  • Species listed in Schedule III and Schedule IV are also protected, but the penalties are much lower.
  • Schedule V includes the animals which may be hunted.
  • The plants in Schedule VI are prohibited from cultivation and planting

Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill: Key Features

CITES: 

• CITES is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.  
• Under CITES, plant and animal specimens are classified into three categories (Appendices) based on the threat to their extinction.  
• The Convention requires countries to regulate the trade of all listed specimens through permits.  
• It also seeks to regulate the possession of live animal specimens.  
• The Bill seeks to implement these provisions of CITES.  

Rationalising schedules: 

• Currently, the Act has six schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four), and vermin species (one).  
• Vermin refers to small animals that carry disease and destroy food.  
• The Bill reduces the total number of schedules to four by:
  • Reducing the number of schedules for specially protected animals to two (one for greater protection level), 
  • Removes the schedule for vermin species, and
  • Inserts a new schedule for specimens listed in the Appendices under CITES (scheduled specimens).

Obligations under CITES:   

• The Bill provides for the central government to designate a:
  • Management Authority, which grants export or import permits for trade of specimens,
  • Scientific Authority, which gives advice on aspects related to impact on the survival of the specimens being traded.  
• Every person engaging in trade of a scheduled specimen must report the details of the transaction to the Management Authority.  
• As per CITES, the Management Authority may use an identification mark for a specimen.  
• The Bill prohibits any person from modifying or removing the identification mark of the specimen.  
• Additionally, every person possessing live specimens of scheduled animals must obtain a registration certificate from the Management Authority.

Invasive alien species: 

• The Bills empowers the central government to regulate or prohibit the import, trade, possession or proliferation of invasive alien species.  
• Invasive alien species refers to plant or animal species which are not native to India and whose introduction may adversely impact wild life or its habitat.  
• The central government may authorise an officer to seize and dispose the invasive species. 

Control of sanctuaries: 

• The Act entrusts the Chief Wild Life Warden to control, manage and maintain all sanctuaries in a state.  
• The Chief Wild Life Warden is appointed by the state government.  
• The Bill specifies that actions of the Chief Warden must be in accordance with the management plans for the sanctuary.  
• These plans will be prepared as per guidelines of the central government, and as approved by the Chief Warden.  
• For sanctuaries falling under special areas, the management plan must be prepared after due consultation with the concerned Gram Sabha.  Special areas include a Scheduled Area or areas where the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is applicable.  
• Scheduled Areas are economically backward areas with a predominantly tribal population, notified under the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

Conservation reserves: 

• Under the Act, state governments may declare areas adjacent to national parks and sanctuaries as a conservation reserve, for protecting flora and fauna, and their habitat.  
• The Bill empowers the central government to also notify a conservation reserve.

Surrender of captive animals: 

• The Bill provides for any person to voluntarily surrender any captive animals or animal products to the Chief Wild Life Warden.  
• No compensation will be paid to the person for surrendering such items.  
• The surrendered items become property of the state government. 

-Source: The Hindu