The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change notified the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Key Highlights of Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024:
- Rules were notified under Section 63 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, specifically for the purpose of Section 49M of the WPA, 1972.
- Section 49M mandates the registration of possession, transfer, birth, and reporting of death of living scheduled animal species listed in Appendices of CITES or Schedule IV of WPA, 1972.
- This section was introduced through the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022.
- Mandatory electronic registration is required for anyone in possession of any animal species within 6 months.
- Owners must report the birth of an offspring of animal species and apply for its registration within 7 days.
- Transfer of animals must be reported and registered within 15 days.
- People involved in captive breeding must maintain stock through regular health check-ups of animals and report any escapes.
Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 and CITES:
- The 2022 Amendment aimed to implement CITES.
- Schedule IV of the WPA includes specimens of flora and fauna listed under CITES.
- It also designates a management authority to grant export or import permits for the trade of species.
About Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972:
- It provides a legal framework for the protection of wild animal species, management of their habitats, and regulation of trade in animal products.
- Last amended in 2022, and these amendments came into effect on 1st April 2023.
Recent Developments:
- Gazette Notification dated 28th February 2024 announced the Rules for the purposes of Section 49M.
- PARIVESH 2.0 portal is the designated platform for registration of possession, reporting of births, transfers, and deaths of protected animal species.
About Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
- It is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
- Secretariat: Geneva, Switzerland
- It is drafted following a resolution adopted in 1973 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and entered into force in 1975.
- Members: As of now, CITES has 184 Parties, including India.
- Objective:
- To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
- To protect endangered species from over-exploitation through international trade.
- CITES is a legally binding agreement on its Parties, requiring them to adopt their own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.
Appendices I, II, and III:
- Appendix I: Lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. These species are prohibited from international trade, except in extraordinary circumstances for non-commercial purposes.
- Appendix II: Includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.
- Appendix III: Contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.
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