If you are keeping a ‘non-native’ animal or bird species without informing the authorities, it is time to re-think. The new rules require anyone in possession of animal species listed in schedule IV (non-native) of the Wildlife Protection Act to register “electronically” within six months. So far, possessors were required to “report the details of the specimen to the management authority”. The digital quotient in the new rules is aimed at preparing a repository of non-native animals in human possession and, at the same time, prevent illegal trading in some cases.
Non-native species are the ones that are predominantly from outside India but make way into the country through illegal trade or documented imports. There are some species, however, that are found both outside and within the country but are considered as ‘non-native’ because of their rare sighting indigenously.
Some species listed in schedule IV are desert cat, desert fox, hares, otters, red fox, Tibetan fox, and weasels. Bird species include barbets, barn owls, bustards, chaffinches, cranes, ducks, emerald dove, falcons, geese, grouse, hawks, hornbills, owls, swans etc.
An official of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says, “The notification stems from the fact that there is no mechanism to report possession of non-native species. Also, no one comes to know when offspring is born, which in some cases, also result in illegal trading.” “This step will be useful in preparing a database of non-native species in India.”
The ministry of environment, forests and climate change on Thursday notified the Living Animal Species Rules 2024 stating, “Every person who is in possession of any animal species (in schedule IV) shall report the details and make an application for registration electronically to the Management Authority or the authorised officer within a period of six months from the date of commencement of these rules and thereafter within thirty days of possession.”
The notification also puts the onus of providing necessary import/export documents. “The application shall be accompanied with copy of import licence, CITES export permit or certificate granted under the Convention in case of acquisition through import.” CITES is an international agreement between governments to prevent international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants.
Besides, officers up to the rank of head constable have been empowered to enter, search, detain and arrest in case of reasonable grounds that Wildlife Protection Act 1972 has been offended. This power, so far, resided with sub-inspectors and above. The Wildlife Act provides the legal framework for the protection and management of wild species and also for the regulation and control of trade.
“This is good. There are large patches of areas under a sub-inspector rank officer. Timely interventions in a suspicious case is easier if the power resides with lower rank officers like head constable as they are on the ground and have better local network,” said the WWF official. “This will certainly result in huge amount of reports coming-in on non-native animal species.”
Sanjeev Behera, a biodiversity conservationist adds, “This seems to have been done to ensure compliance and prepare an online repository of the species, which will be good for monitoring purposes as well.”