NEW DELHI, AUG 2 (UNI) The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, seeks to increase the species protected under the law and implement the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), was taken up by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Moving the Bill in the House, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said the main intention behind the bill was to implement the CITES, to which India is a signatory.
“It has a provision that there should be a mechanism in the wildlife action that can completely as per the legal mechanism of CITES.” He said in India the Wildlife Protection Act is implemented- ed by WildLife Crime Bureau and Customs department. Now a new chapter has been added to make the law as per international convention.
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 based on the threat to their extinction. Yadav said a provision has been made in the bill that in case a forest area is vacated for establishing a national park, the indigenous tribal
population will continue to have rights over resources like drinking water, or pastors for animals will be pro- tected as long as they have not been resettled.
The Minister also talked about the role of the local population in protecting wildlife. Congress MP Praduty Bordoloi said the bill was one of the few bills under the NDA government which has gone to a Standing Committee.
