THE WILD LIFE (PROTECTION) AMENDMENT BILL, 2013

The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2013 is an amendment to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The Act aims to strengthen the protection and conservation of wild life in India by introducing various provisions. The amendments include the insertion of new definitions, sections, and sub-sections, which relate to the regulation of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora.

The Act defines an "animal trap" as any device designed to restrain or capture an animal, including leg hold traps. It also defines a "Gram Sabha" as the Gram Sabha as defined in clause (b) of article 243 of the Constitution. The amendments provide for the grant of permits for scientific research and the regulation of trade in wild life.

The Act prohibits the use of animal traps except with prior permission in writing from the Chief Wild Life Warden for educational and scientific purposes. It also provides for the declaration of areas under the Scheduled Areas as sanctuaries or national parks.

The amendments introduce a new Chapter, Chapter VB, which regulates international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. The chapter defines various terms such as "artificially propagated," "bred in captivity," and "exotic species." It also provides for the designation of a Management Authority and a Scientific Authority to regulate trade in wild life.

The Act requires every person trading in any scheduled specimen to report the details of the specimen and the transaction to the Management Authority or an officer authorized by it. The amendments provide for the registration of persons engaged in breeding or artificially propagating scheduled specimens, as well as the regulation of possession, breeding, and domestic trade of exotic species or scheduled specimens.

The Act provides for the powers and functions of various authorities, including the Director of Wild Life Crime Control Bureau and the Management Authority. It also provides for the constitution of a co-ordination committee to ensure coordination between the Management Authority and other enforcement agencies.

Overall, the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2013 aims to strengthen the protection and conservation of wild life in India by introducing various provisions related to regulation, conservation, and trade in wild life.