Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill 2021

August 4, 2022

Lok Sabha passed the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 on August 2, 2022. It was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 17, 2021. It will amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Key provisions of the Bill include;

Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill is aimed at implementing “Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora”. It also seeks to expand the number of species protected by the convention.
It mandates the central government to formulate an authority to grants export or import licences for trading in specimens. Anyone trading in a scheduled specimen shall inform the appropriate authority about the transaction’s specifics.
Authority can give an identification mark for a specimen, which is prohibited from removing or modifying under the bill.
People possessing live specimens of scheduled animals have been mandated to obtain a registration certificate from Management Authority.
Government has been empowered to control the import, trade, and possession of invasive alien species.
Penalty for violations of provisions of the bill has increased from Rs 25000 (Under 1972 act) to Rs 1,00,000.
It empowers government to notify a conservation reserve, next to sanctuaries or national parks, in a bid to protect the flora and fauna.

The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 comprised of 6 schedules for specially protected plants, specially protected animals and one vermin species. Under the new bill, Schedule has been reduced to 4. Schedule for vermin species has been removed. A new schedule has been added for specimens listed under CITES.

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