The central government has excluded some species from the process of issuing licences for their wildlife trade in the revised rules that have come after four decades.

In a government notification dated January 16, Wild Life (Protection) Licensing (Additional Matters for Consideration) Rules, 2024, the government offered fresh guidelines for granting licences to stakeholders involved in snake venom, captive animals, trophy animals and stuffed animals.

The revised notification came into effect on January 16, the first revision since 1983. 

The rules from 1983 prohibited issuing licences to trade in a wild animal categorised under Schedule I or Part II of Schedule II under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The licences were granted in exceptional cases with previous approval of the central government. 

With new guidelines in effect, the government has stated that, “No such licences shall be granted if it relates to any wild animals specified in the Schedule I to the Act, except with previous consultation of the central government.”

It mentioned that in additional matters to consider granting of licences, the authorised officers must consider the capacity of the applicant to handle the business concerned in terms of facilities, equipment and feasibility of premises for the business.

The official has to note the source and manner in which the supplies would be obtained by the business involved, including the number of licences already issued in the concerned area.

It further seeks considering the implications on hunting or trade of wild animals concerned in case of granting of the licence.

The notification, however, does not clarify why the restrictions on Schedule II species have been lifted. 

On earlier occasion in 2022, the central government in amendment of Wildlife Protection Act merged four schedules of wild animals in two reducing the six schedules to four.

As per the revised amendments Schedule I includes animals requiring utmost protection while Schedule II has species needing comparatively lower protection. Plant species have been listed under Schedule II while Schedule IV is dedicated to species to be protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, some of the animals listed under Schedule II include birds such as sparrows, bulbul, ducks, geese, owls, kites, eagles, falcons prinias, reptiles such as snakes, turtles, mammals such as deer, hare, rats, langur, and amphibians like geckos and frogs are listed. 

According to the World Wildlife Report 2020 about 6,000 species of flora and fauna were seized globally from 1999-2018.