The Wildlife Protection Amendment bill 2021, introduced in Parliament
Recently the (Protection) Wildlife Amendment Bill, 2021, has been introduced in the Parliament.
The bill has been introduced by the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The purpose of this bill is to amend the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
This amendment focuses on the objective of enabling the parent Act (1972) to comply with the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 1973 (CITES).
Salient Features of the Bill
- Establishment of Standing Committees of State Wildlife Boards for systematic wildlife management and monitoring.
- Rationalization of the number of schedules covered under the Act from 6 to 4 major schedules.
- Schedule is a classification of wildlife. It depends on how critically endangered they are.
Schedule of Wildlife:
- It is the category of the most protected wildlife. (like a tiger)
- The Wildlife Management Plan has now been made a part of the Wildlife Act to ensure more stringent protection for the protected areas.
- Enabling control of invasive alien species. Also, permitting the transfer or transportation of live elephants by a person with a certificate of ownership.
- Insertion of a new chapter (VB) in the parent Act for the regulation of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora.
About the CITES
- CITES is an international agreement between governments. Its purpose is to ensure that international trade in wildlife and plant species does not threaten the survival of the species.
- This treaty came into force in the year 1975 and at present 183 countries including India are parties to it.
- India has been blacklisted once in the past by CITES. If it is blacklisted for the second time also, India will no longer be eligible to trade important plant species.
Source – The Hindu
