Lok Sabha Question No. 2033 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-29
Subject: Wildlife Trade
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OE ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2033

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.12.2017

## Wildlife Trade

## 2033. SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

Will  the  Minster  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the country has a strong legal and policy framework to regulate and restrict the wildlife trade;
- (b) if so, the details thereof?
- (c) the  number  of  wildlife  traffickers  involved  in  smuggling  of  body  parts  of  tigers  and leopard  and  other  wild  animals  arrested  in  the  past  three  years  across  the  country  and awarded imprisonment;
- (d) whether  the  illegal  wildlife  trade  has  increased  in  the  country  in  the  past  few  years resulting in threat to biodiversity and conservation of wildlife; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the concrete steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a)

- & (b) Yes,  Madam.  The  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  is  the legislation  governing  and  regulating  the  Wildlife  trade  in  the country.  India  is  also  signatory  to  CITES  (Convention  on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and on

Flora) since  1976  which regulate International Trade wildlife.

:

- ( c ) Number of wildlife traffickers involved in smuggling of body parts  of  tiger  leopards  and  other  wild  animals  arrested  in  the past  three  years  based  on  the  information  provided  by  State

authorities is as under:

|   2014 |   2015 |   2016 |
|--------|--------|--------|
|   1430 |    615 |    372 |

The  information  pertaining  to  imprisonments  awarded  to  the wildlife traffickers are not collated at the level of the Ministry.

- (d) and (e) As per available records in the Ministry, no trend of increase in the  incidents  of  wildlife  trade  across  the  country  is  noticed. The Government has initiated following steps and policies to

curb the wildlife trade in the country:

- i. Legal  protection  has  been  provided  to  wild  animals against hunting and commercial exploitation under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- ii. Endangered species of animals including Tiger, Elephants, Lion, Rhino, etc are listed under Schedule -I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 thereby according them highest degree of protection.
- iii. The  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972,  provides  for stringent  punishments  for  wildlife  offences.  The  Act also  provides  for  forfeiture  of  any  equipment,  vehicle or weapon that is used for committing wildlife offence(s).
- iv. The  Wildlife  Crime  Control  Bureau  has  been  set  up with  5  regional  offices  to  strengthen  the  control  of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its products, by  coordinating  with  the  States  and  also  with  border and trans border authorities.
- v. Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created all  over  the  country  under  the  provisions  of  the  Wild Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  to  conserve  wild  animals and their habitats.
- vi. As member of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of  wild  fauna  and  flora  (CITES), India's Export-Import Policy also provides for compliance  of  CITES  in  international  trade.  Other member  countries  also  exchange  information  on  any illegal wildlife trade attempts.

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