Recently, three kangaroos were rescued from different parts of the Siliguri town in West Bengal. These kangaroos were rescued and sent to a wildlife park to be treated. They were smuggled to India as they are native to Australia but not found in India.
Smuggling through north-eastern corridor
- According to the officials, the animals were most likely left in the open during an anti-smuggling operations.
- Smugglers often bring non-native, exotic animals to India’s border states through Myanmar.
- Country’s anti-smuggling intelligence agency, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), said that India has seen a rise in demand for exotic animals.
- Animals from Bangkok, Malaysia and other “top tourist destinations in South East Asia” are smuggled into the country and make their way to cities across India.
- Smugglers use the north-eastern corridor to bring in exotic animals, ranging from a golden-headed lion tamarin, an endangered primate found only in Brazil, to threatened lemurs.
Law against smuggling
- Indian wildlife officials can’t prosecute these smugglers or traders because India’s Wildlife Protection Act doesn’t protect non-native, exotic animals.
- There is a ban on trade of native animal species, hence smugglers have shifted to exotic species.
Advisory on exotic animals
- On November 22, 2020 the Supreme Court had upheld an Allahabad High Court order granting immunity from investigation and prosecution if one declared illegal acquisition or possession of exotic wildlife species between June and December 2020.
- India is a signatory of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES), which protects and monitors the trade of endangered plants and animals.
- But the treaty has still not given the multilateral treaty any teeth – it can’t be implemented under Indian law.
- The Directorate-General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce, oversees import and export of ‘exotic wildlife species’.
- Under the new rules, owners and possessors of exotic animals and birds must register their stock with the Chief Wildlife Warden of their States.
- Officials of the Wildlife Department will also prepare an inventory of such species and have the right to inspect the facilities of such traders to check if these plants and animals are being housed in salubrious conditions.
- Additionally, stockists were given six months (June and December 2020) to declare their stock.
- The advisory says ‘exotic live species’ will mean animals named under Appendices I, II and III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora.
- It will not include species from the Schedules of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- The advisory has provisions for import and disclosure of exotic animals and their progeny already in India.
- A person trying to import a live exotic animal will have to submit an application for grant of a licence to the DGFT, under the provisions of the advisory.
- The major reason behind issuing advisory is to regulate the trade because the issue of zoonotic diseases is also linked to wildlife.
- According to some experts, the advisory does not have the force of law and could potentially incentivize illegal trade by offering a long amnesty period, it suffers from serious flaws.
(References: BBC, The Hindu, Indian Express and Down to Earth)
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