Environment

Bill to amend Wild Life (Protection) Act gives Centre direct power to declare any species ‘vermin’, potentially impacting hundreds of species.

·       WLPA: The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 brings in a major change by reducing the number of schedules from six to four.

·       It proposes to remove Schedule V completely.

·       Originally, the WLPA, 1972 currently has six schedules that assign varied degrees of protection to animals and plants.

·       Below Schedule I and II of the Act, as an example, animals and birds like tigers and elephants are offered the best protection.

·       Schedule V lists species classified as ‘vermin’, like common crows, fruit bats, rats and mice, which can be afraid freely British legislation was the primary to mandate the extermination of vermin as seen in India below the WLPA, 1972.

·       Though the act does not define the word ‘vermin’, WLPA’s 62 section grants the central government the power to declare any wild animal (other than those specified in Schedule I and Schedule II) as ‘vermin’ for any area and a specified period.

·       Background: The category of ‘vermin’ in the WLPA has distinct colonial origins.

·       The British Raj brought to India the ideas of desirable animals (suitable for hunting and subsequent consumption being considered game) and problematic animals (considered vermin).

·       These were the Tudor Vermin Acts that allowed eradication of nuisance animals or agricultural pests.

·       The Vermin Acts enclosed The Preservation of Grain Act, 1532, that created an official list of ‘vermin’ animals.

·       These enclosed owls, otters, foxes, hedgehog’s et al.

·       That were seen as dangerous omens or competitors of food with humans.

·       Vermin: Vermin are considered thought of drawback or nuisance animals that attack humans, crops, stock or property.

·       So as to stop human-wildlife conflicts, many states within the past have petitioned to declare varied animals to be ‘vermin’, as well as elephants, Indian porcupine, bonnet macaque, common langur and barking deer.

·       In 2016, the Centre declared rhesus monkeys in Himachal Pradesh, wild boar in Uttarakhand and Nilgai in Bihar to be ‘vermin’.

·       Dangers of Mass Culling: Ecological Imbalance due to blanket permission & financial incentives by Govt to eradicate vermin population Exacerbate Human Wildlife Conflict E.g.: unscientific killings of rhesus monkeys disrupt the power hierarchy among them and babies or sub-adults might not know how to behave and, thus, might cause havoc and create more conflict.

Endanger targeted species and fatal for non-targeted species (traps and snares) long-lasting impact on the ecosystem and biodiversity.