New Delhi, Aug 2 : Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, that seeks to increase the species protected under the law, and implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav stressed that development and environment protection can go hand in hand as he also expressed government’s commitment towards protecting wild life and flora.

While moving the bill for passing in Lok Sabha, Yadav said the Standing Committee which examined the Bill went in great details, over 150 organizations and individuals made representations to the Committee, and six MPs also deposed before the panel.

CITES is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. Under CITES, plant and animal specimens are classified into three categories based on the threat to their extinction.

Yadav said in case their is a conflict between Indian law and the CITEs, Indian law would be adhered to.

The Minister said India has a network of protected forest areas, and the numbers have been increasing.

He said number of protected areas that stood at 693 in 2012 has risen to 987. This is 5.2 percent of country’s total geographic area.

Yadav also said a provision have been made in the bill that in case a forest area is vacated for establishing a national park, the indigenous tribal population will continue to have rights over resources like drinking water, or pastors for animals will be protected as long as they have not been resettled.

The Minister also talked about the role of the local population in protecting wildlife.

The Wildlife Protection Act has six schedules at present, one for specially protected plants, four schedules of specially protected animals, and one of vermin species.

This Bill reduces the total number of schedules to four by reducing the number of schedules for specially protected animals to two, removes the schedule for vermin species, and inserts a new schedule for specimens listed in the Appendices under CITES.

The Bill provides for the central government to designate a Management Authority, which grants export or import permits for trade of specimens, and a Scientific Authority, which gives advice on aspects related to impact on the survival of the specimens being traded.

Every person engaging in trade of a scheduled specimen must report the details of the transaction to the Management Authority. As per CITES, the Management Authority may use an identification mark for a specimen. The Bill prohibits any person from modifying or removing the identification mark of the specimen. Additionally, every person possessing live specimens of scheduled animals must obtain a registration certificate from the Management Authority.(UNI)