Lok Sabha Question No. 125 (STARRED), answered on 2016-07-26
Subject: Initiatives under Sawen
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *125

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2016

## Initiatives under Sawen

## *125.  PROF. PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA:

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

- (a) whether India has adopted the statute of the South  Asia Wildlife Enforcement  Network  (SAWEN)  and  if  so,  the  details  and  objectives thereof;
- (b) the details of the initiatives taken/proposed to be taken by the Government under the aegis of SAWEN;
- (c) whether any action plan has been formulated by the Government in order to control trans-boundary wildlife crime and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the details of funds allocated for this project?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE  (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

(a), (b), (c), and (d)   A statement is laid on the Table of the House

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a), (b), (c), AND (d)  OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*125 REGARDING 'INITIATIVES UNDER SAWEN' BY PROF. PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA FOR REPLY ON 26.07.2016.

- (a) The  Government  of  India  has  adopted  the  statute  of  South  Asia  Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) on 13th April 2016.

SAWEN  is  a  regional  network  of  eight  countries of South  Asia,  viz., Afghanistan,  Bangladesh,  Bhutan,  India,  Maldives,  Nepal,  Pakistan  and  Sri Lanka,    established  with  a  view  to  provide  a  forum  for  the  development  of regional programs through networking, sharing and effective dissemination of knowledge and information with respect to combating illegal trade in wildlife, its parts and products. It was formally launched during the Second Meeting of the  South  Asia  Experts  Group  on  Illegal  Wildlife  Trade  held  from  29-30 January 2011 in Paro, Bhutan. The SAWEN  Secretariat is located at Kathmandu in Nepal.

The  statute  contains  the  institutional  arrangement  for  functioning  of  the network,  its  objectives  and  role  of  member  countries.  The  statute  has  been adopted  with  the  objective  of  strengthening  the  network  and  co-operation amongst the member countries in jointly combating wildlife crime and illegal trafficking in the region.

- (b) The important initiatives taken by the Government under the aegis of SAWEN include:
- i. Adoption of the statutes of SAWEN by the Government of India
- ii. Enactment of stringent legislation for protection of wildlife and to deal with related crimes.
- iii. Assistance  is  provided  by  the  Wildlife  Control  Bureau  to  the  border agencies in combating illegal wildlife trade.
- iv. Designation  of  the  Wildlife  Crime  Control  Bureau  as  the  CITES Enforcement Agency in India.
- (c) India  is  one  of  the  pioneer  country  amongst  the  SAWEN  members  in establishing  a  Wildlife  Crime  Control  Bureau    and  is  implementing  the following actions that, inter-alia, also meet the objectives of SAWEN:
- (a) collecting and collating intelligence related to organised wildlife crime activities and to disseminating the same to State and other enforcement agencies for immediate action, so as to apprehend the criminals and to establish a centralised wildlife crime databank;
- (b) coordination  of  actions  by  various  officers,  State  Governments  and authorities in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of this act,  either  directly  or  through  regional  and  border  units  set  up  by  the Bureau;
- (c) implementation of obligations under the various international Conventions and protocols that are in force at present or which may be ratified or acceded to by India in future;
- (d) assistance  to  concerned  authorities  in  foreign  countries  and  concerned international organizations to facilitate coordination and  universal action for wildlife crime control;
- (e) developing infrastructure and capacity building for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes and assist State Governments  to  ensure  success  in  prosecutions  related  to  wildlife crimes;
- (f) advising the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes having  national  and  international  ramifications,  and  suggests  changes required in relevant policy and loss from time to time.
- (d) An amount of Rs. 9.00 crore has been allocated to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau during the year 2016-17 for combating illegal trade of wildlife. Further, financial  and  technical  assistance  is  extended  to  the  State/UT  Governments under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, viz, 'Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats',  'Project  Tiger'  and  'Project  Elephant'  for  providing  better protection and conservation of wildlife.