Lok Sabha Question No. 2091 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Hunting of Wild Animals
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Prataprao Govindrao  Patil Chikhalikar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2091

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.09.2020

## Hunting of Wild Animals

## 2091. SHRI PRATAPRAO PATIL CHIKHLIKAR:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  reviewed  the  issue  of  indiscriminate  hunting  of  wild animals during the lockdown period;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  number of  leopards  has  drastically  reduced  due  to  rise  in  incidents  of hunting;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps being taken by the Government to check hunting of wild animals across the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) and (b) Management  of  forest  and  wildlife  including  the  issue  of  indiscriminate hunting of wild animals is the responsibility of concerned State Governments and the details of hunting of wild animals are not collated by the Ministry. There is no report in the Ministry that indiscriminate hunting of wild animals took place during the lockdown period.
- (c) and (d) There  is  no  report  in  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate Change  indicating  rise  in  incidents  of  hunting  of  leopards  and  drastic reduction in their numbers.
- (e) The steps being taken by the Government to check hunting of wild animals across the country are as follows:
- i. The local communities are involved in conservation measures through eco-development activities who help the forest department in protection of wildlife.
- ii. Rare  and  endangered  species  found  in  India,  like  Tiger,  Snow Leopard, Great Indian Bustard, Gangetic Dolphin, Dugong, etc. have been  listed  in  Schedule-I  of  the  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972,
- thereby providing them highest degree of protection.
- iii. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for stringent punishment for violation of its provisions. The Act also provides for forfeiture  of  any  equipment,  vehicle  or  weapon  that  is  used  for committing wildlife offence(s).
- iv. WCCB coordinates with State/UTs and other enforcement agencies to gather intelligence about poaching and unlawful trade in wild animals and animal articles.
- v. WCCB conducted 109 and 153 joint operations in 2018-19 and 201920 respectively to apprehend criminals involved in smuggling.
- vi. WCCB conducted  capacity building programs for Forests & Police Officials on investigation of Wildlife cases under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as follows:
- vii. WCCB conducted sensitization programs for the officials of Border Guarding Forces, Customs, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Judicial officers and other stake holders as follows:
- viii. WCCB conducted sensitization of representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions  and  awareness  programs  for  students  and  members  of public on the importance of wildlife and their role to combat wildlife crime as follows:
- ix. WCCB issued alerts and advisories on poaching and illegal trade of wildlife to the concerned State and Central agencies for preventive action as follows:
- x. Advisory on prevention of hunting of Pangolin and the illegal trade of Pangolin Scales was issued by WCCB in 2018.
- xi. Organized Inter-Agency meetings for coordination of inter-agency enforcement efforts in combating wildlife crime. 10 IAC meetings were  organized  in  2017-18,  9  in  2018-19  and  7  have  been conducted in 2019-20.
- xii. The  Ministry  has  issued  'Advisory  for  Dealing  with  Import  of Exotic Live Species in India and Declaration of Stock'.

| Year    |   No of programs |   Officials trained |
|---------|------------------|---------------------|
| 2017-18 |               20 |                1092 |
| 2018-19 |               26 |                1081 |
| 2019-20 |               24 |                1102 |

| Year    |   No of programs |   No. of officials sensitized |
|---------|------------------|-------------------------------|
| 2017-18 |               77 |                          4097 |
| 2018-19 |               69 |                          4939 |
| 2019-20 |               97 |                          7692 |

| Year    |   No of programs |   No. of representatives of PRIs/students/members of public sensitized |
|---------|------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2017-18 |               36 |                                                                   2452 |
| 2018-19 |               31 |                                                                   2323 |
| 2019-20 |               33 |                                                                   1906 |

| Year    |   Alerts and advisories issued |
|---------|--------------------------------|
| 2017-18 |                             86 |
| 2018-19 |                            124 |
| 2019-20 |                            103 |

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