When tigers and jackals get the same protection

Source: This post has been created based on the article “When tigers and jackals get the same protection” published in The Hindu on 18^th October 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 Environment — Conservation.

News: This article discusses the various issues with the recent amendments in the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022.

An excessive number of species have been included in the new schedules of the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022, with little consultation, or logic.

The new Act also goes one step further by aligning itself with CITES, and includes the CITES appendices as well.

What are the issues raised regarding conservation of species?

1) Lack of prioritisation of species for conservation: Listing an excess number of species means that it is unclear where resources should be allocated.
For instance, the same level of protection is offered to tigers and jackals, and to the great Indian bustard and barn owls.

2) Indirect consequences of legislation not taken into account:
For example, the Tree Preservation Acts of Kerala and Karnataka prevent the felling of native trees. These disincentivize plantation owners from planting native trees and promote exotic species.

3) The case of chital: The spotted deer (chital) are invasive species in the Andaman Islands. But they cannot be legally culled or removed because they are listed in Schedule 1.

What are the various impacts on the people?

1) Various Schedule 1 species pose enormous physical, mental and economic harm to people, especially farmers and marginal cultivators. For instance, the new Act elevates wild pigs and nilgai to Schedule 1.

2) Blanket ban on use: Regulated use should be considered when animals are abundant, at least to support the livelihoods of local communities. But this is seen as unacceptable.

3) Red-tapism: The paperwork involved in getting research permits is tedious and time-consuming. This could have a negative effect on research.
Environmental NGOs will have a harder time getting permits for research and conservation.

What should be the way forward?

Firstly, those whose lives are at stake need to be safeguarded first. Animal rights arguments that result in the loss of human lives and livelihoods need to be disregarded.

Secondly, biodiversity management actions need to be tailored to ecology, species biology, and context. This calls for research, which is hampered by the scheduling of species.

Finally, both citizens and ecologists have a right to observe nature and collect data if they so desire, as long as it does not cause harm and follows ethical considerations.