Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav introduced the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Rajya Sabha on December 7.
- The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 3 and aims for better implementation of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
- The amendment has been introduced to meet India’s obligations under CITES.
- India is a member of CITES. The pace at which wildlife resources and species are being lost this agreement was made to address that.
- In India, illegal trade in wildlife is regulated under the Customs Act, Exim policy, Directorate General of Foreign Trade and the Wildlife Protection Act. CITES made a provision for separate regulation for illegal trade in wildlife.
Key provisions
- The bill amends the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- It includes a clause to Section 43 that permits the use of elephants for ‘religious or any other purpose’. Elephants are the only wild animals that can be ‘owned’ by individuals in India.
- While Section 43 (1) of the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2022 prohibits the sale of captive animals such as elephants, their trade still persists in the form of ‘gifts’ or ‘donations’.
- The bill aims to further implement CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), an international agreement signed between governments in 1973 to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten the species. and expanding the number of species protected by the convention.
- The previous WildLife (Protection) Act, 1972 had six schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four), and one vermin species (small animals that carry disease and destroy food).
- The amended bill reduces the total number of schedules to four by eliminating the schedule for vermin species and reducing the number of schedules for specially protected animals to two. It also inserts a new schedule for specimens listed under CITES.
- The Bill provides for the central government to designate an authority which grants export or import licences for the trading in specimens.
- Anyone who trades in a scheduled specimen must inform the appropriate authority of the transaction’s specifics.
- People possessing live specimens of scheduled animals must obtain a registration certificate from the Management Authority.
- It gives the central government the authority to control or outlaw the import, trade, and possession of invasive alien species, or those that are not indigenous to India.
- The bill increases the penalty for violations of the provisions of the bill.
- Under the 1972 act, the general fine was up to Rs. 25,000 which has been increased to Rs. 1,00,000.
- For violating the provisions meant for specially protected animals, the previous fine was up to Rs. 10,000 and now has been increased to at least Rs. 25,000.
- The bill will also ensure greater control and regulation of wildlife sanctuaries and empower the government to notify a conservation reserve, an area located next to sanctuaries or national parks to protect the flora and fauna.
- The bill provides for any person to voluntarily surrender any captive animals or animal products for which no compensation will be awarded and the items will become the property of the state government.
- CITES is a convention that requires countries to regulate the trade of all listed specimens through permits and regulate the possession of live animal specimens so it does not threaten the survival of the species.
