ATTN: IFG Govt is asking for comments for wildlife 2k13 bill

[warthog]

Last Date: 14 September 2013

The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2013 introduced in Lok Sabha on the 22 April, 2013 and pending therein, has been referred to the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests headed by Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy , M.P. Rajya Sabha for examination and report. The bill proposes to increase the punishments for violating of the Act and also to insert a new chapter in the Act consistent with the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to which India is a signatory.

Those desirous of submitting written memoranda to the Committee, may send the same to Shri V.S.P. Singh, Joint Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Room No. 142, First Floor, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001 {Tele: 23035411 (O) and 23015585 (fax)} or e-mail at [email protected] within fifteen days from the date of publication of this advertisement.

text of the bill
http://www.prsindia.org/billtrack/the-w ... 2013-2829/


IFG should draft a detailed article on the negative effects of the b ill relating to human freedom to hunt animals that are over breeding and criminalising victimless crimes like animal traps.
Hunting should be legalised as in americas. I hope mods and admin highlight this thread.


some tyrannical features of the bill are
http://www.mydigitalfc.com/leisure-writ ... -study-668

The amendments propose stricter deterrents on wildlife crimes related to sale, purchase and transfer of animals, their parts or products listed in various schedules. The bill proposes that hunting in national parks and sanctuaries should be punished with up to 5-7 years in jail and fine of Rs 5-25 lakh. This has been raised from 3-7 years in jail and Rs 10,000 fine in the present law. The punishment would be 7 years in prison and Rs 30 lakh fine for repeat offenders; this is between 3-7 years of imprisonment and Rs 25,000 fine now. (b) The proposed bill also included the most awaited amendment for leg traps. According to the new law, “no person shall manufacture, sell, purchase, keep, transport or use any animal trap except with prior permission in writing of the chief wildlife warden given for educational and scientific purposes”.

[xl_target]

I don't know if it will do any good to open up hunting in India unless you have a quantum leap in the quality of the Forest service organization. By that I don't just mean personnel, I mean in the resources allocated to them; equipment, vehicles, money for training,, etc. If that doesn't happen, you will see another wholesale decrease in the quantity and quality of India's flora and fauna. Only this time it will be done legally.

I think you can have legal, sustainable hunting in India but it will require a huge dose of resources, effort and political will. The political climate at present doesn't seem to support that.

[warthog]

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... abha-traps
NAGPUR: Will you now need permission from forest department to set up a mousetrap in your home? Possible, if one goes by latest amendments proposed to Wildlife Protection Act. While the amendments are meant to strengthen the protection and provide for more stringent punishment to wildlife offenders, some provisions are making experts wonder if they could be abused.

This is a agenda 21 bill and must be opposed. I hope IFG sends them an email by 14th

[goodboy_mentor]

What to say? The central government seems to have gone berserk. You will be prosecuted for catching fish from river for food! Prosecuted for possessing a fishing hook, fishing net or a mouse trap!

[dev]

Having seen a hunting block in the late seventies, i would agree with XL. Even those who had legit permit were casually exceeding the bag limit.
The only good that hunters did was keeping poachers out from their own blocks.
If hunters are disciplined about bag limits and fair chase then who knows.

[nagarifle]

an eyewash.

[mundaire]

Having seen a hunting block in the late seventies, i would agree with XL. Even those who had legit permit were casually exceeding the bag limit.
The only good that hunters did was keeping poachers out from their own blocks.
If hunters are disciplined about bag limits and fair chase then who knows.

I do not dispute your statement. However, do keep in mind an avid hunter may bag a couple of hundred birds in an entire year, while a professional poacher will take that many in A SINGLE DAY! Also, while hunting was legal, even the most corrupt of forest officials were wary of wholesale plunder of forest resources. Since the ban has come in to effect whole swathes of once verdant forest has completely disappeared in the past 2 decades. The timber illegally harvested sold with connivance of forest officials and once the land was clear squatters came in and have now started farming the vacant land. Needless to say, no forest = no forest animals.

[prashantsingh]

Even if they do not allow hunting in India. They should at least relax the rules for import of hunting trophies from abroad.

[shooter]

If india cnfirms to CITES regulation (as the bill is suggesting), it will be easier to import trophies.
(read the part abot about import of wildlife products).