The various activities relating to wildlife conservation and implementation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 are:
1. Enforcement of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Export-Import Policy:
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the provisions of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Export and Import Policy in India were continued to be enforced through the offices of the Regional Deputy Directors of Wildlife Preservation located at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, along with the help of State Wildlife Department, the State Police Department, the Customs Departments, Border Security Force (BSF) and Coastal Guards.
During 1972, the Regional Deputy Directors detected several cases of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife products. Ban was enforced on 29 species of wild plant, plant portions and their derivatives obtained from the wild.
2. Amendments of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:
The various amendments made to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, came into force from 1st April 2003, except for the provision relating to constitution of National Board for Wildlife.
3. National Board for Wildlife (NBWL):
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The National Board for Wildlife was constituted vide notification dated 21st September 2003. The first meeting of the NBWL was held on 15th October 2003 under the chairmanship of Ex-Prime Minister, Atal Behari Bajpayee. In that meeting the Standing Committee of the NBWL was also constituted and met subsequently to discuss important aspects related to wildlife.
4. Animal Welfare:
In July 2002, the Animal Welfare Division became a part of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which was earlier under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The main task of the Animal Welfare Division is to implement effectively the various provision of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Under this Act, a number of Rules was framed.
Some of these rules are:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
1. Performing Animals Rules, 1973, and Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 1972.
2. Transport of Animals Rules, 1978 and 2001.
3. Prevention of Cruelty (Slaughter Houses) Rules, 2000.
4. Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (Establishment and Regulation of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Rules 2001.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
5. Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001.
6. Breeding of and Experiments on Animals (Control and Supervision) Rules, 1998, as amended in February 2001.
5. National Institute of Animal Welfare (NIAW):
The National Institute of Animal Welfare, has been constructed at Ballabhgar) Faridabad (Haryana) to provide various Graduate and Post Graduate courses on animal welfare. The institute also offers intensive specialised diplomas in specific streams. It will work as a teaching, research and extension centre.
6. Statutory Bodies:
(a) Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI):
The AWBI is a statutory body under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Its headquarters is at Chennai, and its main work is to advise the Government on animal welfare issues and create awareness on animal welfare.
AWBI gives financial assistance to eligible Animal Welfare Organisations for Shelter Houses, Model Gaushales for setting up Bio-gas Plants, Famine/Drought Relief, Earthquake Relief etc. in various states.
The number of Animal Welfare Organisation (AWOs) registered with AWBI is more than 2,100 and its number is ever- increasing. So far, State Animal Welfare Boards (SAWBs) have been constituted in 24 States and Union Territories.
(b) Committee for Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA):
The CPCSEA is also a statutory body under Section 15 of Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960, with headquarters at Chennai. This committee’s work is to register and monitor the animal breeders and institutions conducting experiments on animals. So far about 820 units have been registered with this committee.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(c) WFN-India (Worldwide Fund for Nature, India):
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been renamed Worldwide Fund for Nature or WFN. The WWF-India was formed in 1969 at the time of XII General Assembly of the IUCN, held at Delhi. It is a registered charitable trust with its headquarters at Mumbai. Its objective is to safeguard and restore the country’s natural environment and includes conservation, education and research.
The main activities of WFN-India are:
1. Financing specific conservation projects along with related studies,
2. Promoting conservation,
3. Education among youth,
4. Creating public-awareness,
5. Eliciting mass support for conservation,
6. Focusing Government attention on special conservation,
7. Raising funds to support these activities.
Various important projects have been undertaken and supported by WWF-India.
Some of these are:
1. Andaman Pig study,
2. Crane Conservation Project,
3. Crocodile Breeding Project,
4. Ecological Survey of Western Ghats,
5. Sloth Bear Project,
6. Status Survey of Sea Turtle.
(d) Wildlife Preservation Society of India:
The Wildlife Preservation Society of India is a Non-Government Organisation founded in 1958 by a group of wildlife lovers, with its headquarters at Dehradun. It is a member of World Conservation Union (WCU).
(e) Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS):
Bombay Natural History Society was established in 1883. BNHS is a nongovernment body dedicated to the cause of conservation of nature. It has been actively engaged in collecting information and specimens of flora and fauna throughout India, Burma (Myanmar) and Sri Lanka.
The Society – through its prestigious journal and other activities – has been successful in attracting attention of the public and government officials on the need for proper understanding, conserving and developing the rich heritage of India’s wildlife.
(f) Indian Board of Wildlife (IBWL):
The Indian Board of Wildlife was constituted in 1952 on the recommendation of an ad hoc committee set up by the Government of India for ensuring wildlife protection.
Some of its main activities are:
1. To engage in the setting up of National Parks, Sanctuaries, Zoological Gardens etc. for the preservation of wildlife (ex-situ and in-situ).
2. To device ways and means for the protection of wildlife through coordinated legislature and practical measures, by declaring certain species of animals as protected and checking their indiscriminate killing.
3. To promote public interest in wildlife and to encourage its conservation in harmony with natural and human environments.
4. To prevent cruelty on birds and beasts.
5. To advise the Government on policies in respect of animal’s trophies, skins, furs, feathers, ivory and other wildlife products.
IBWL has a bird wing and a zoo wing to deal with the study and preservation of wild birds and animals, respectively. It also deals with the development of zoological parks and gardens in the country.Every state of India has a State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) which have similar functions. They also have additional responsibility of enforcement of legislation effectively against poaching and illegal killing of game birds and other animals.
(g) National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP):
The National Wildlife Action Plan, constituted in 1983, provide the framework of a strategy involving programmes and projects for wildlife conservation in the future. Under this body, many action plans have been undertaken such as the proposal to increase the protected area to cover 4 per-cent of the geographical areas as against 3 per-cent at present.
The initiating and monitoring of these projects and programmes set by the Action Plan, along with the help of states and Union Territories, are taken up by the Central Directorate of Wildlife Preservation and the Wildlife Institute of India at Dehradun.
The workings of NWAP are along the following lines:
1. Survey of all National Parks, Sanctuaries and other areas deserving protection status.
2. Guidelines for the preparation of management plans of wildlife reserves.
3. Review and revision of National Forest Policy.
4. Amendments of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1975.
5. Captive breeding and rehabilitation programmes.