Environment Ministry’s wildlife division has introduced new rules to regulate the import and export of exotic wildlife species.

The Environment Ministry’s wildlife division has introduced new rules to regulate the import and export of exotic wildlife species. The ‘exotic live species will mean animals named under Appendices I, II and III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora. It will not include species from the Schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

 Key highlights of the new rule

• Under the new rules, owners and possessors of such animals and birds must also register their stock with the Chief Wildlife Warden of their States.

Select animals

• Officials of the Wildlife Department will also prepare an inventory of such species and have the right to inspect the facilities of such traders to check if these plants and animals are being housed insalubrious conditions.
• Additionally, stockists will have six months to declare their stock.

About Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora (CITES)

• CITES is also known as the Washington Convention.
• The CITES is part of a multilateral treaty that includes plant, animals and birds under varying categories of the threat of extinction and which will be jointly protected by members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted by members of IUCN in 1963.
• It entered into force in 1975.
• Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

India is a signatory to this.

• In India, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is an organization that is tasked with monitoring illegal trade.

Protection offered to species by CITES

• According to World Wildlife Crime Report 2016 of the UN, criminals are illegally trading products derived from over 7,000 species of wild animals and plants across the world.
• The species covered by CITES are listed in three Appendices, according to the degree of protection they need.

Appendices I and II

• Appendix I include species threatened with extinction.
• Trade-in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
• Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.
• At each regular meeting of the CoP, Parties submit proposals to amend these two Appendices.
• Those amendment proposals are discussed and then submitted to a vote.

Appendix III

• This Appendix contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.

UPSC