Wildlife Crimes

Description

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Context: The Odisha’s Special Task Force (STF) and Forest department have together seized closed to 45 leopard skins in the past two years. It indicates that 5% of the State’s leopard population has already been poached.

More about news:

In 30% of cases, criminals trading leopard skins are connected to organised crimes while 70% of the cases were random killings.

What is the need to conserve fauna?

Ecological-wellbeing:Animals have a huge contribution to our ecological system by providing multiple ecological services.
Sustainable development: They also contribute to the generic, social, economic, scientific, educational and human well-being of sustainable development.

Wildlife crimes in India:

Between 2018 and 2020 about 2054 cases were registered for killing or illegal trafficking of wild animalsin India.
The data was made available on the basis of cases registered by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureauand State Forest and Police Authorities in the past three years.

Reasons:

Fund crunch:The Union government has cut the funds released under three flagship wildlife schemes even though poaching remains rampant.

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Man-Animal conflict:Over 2,000 people in India were killed by elephants while tigers claimed over 200 lives in the last five years, according to data provided by the government.
Poaching and hunting: Killing, transportation and illegal trade of wild animal is done for their body parts mainly skin, horn, bones and meat.

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Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) led operations

It had launched operation “Save Kurma” to focus on the poaching, transportation and illegal trade of live turtles and tortoises.
“Operation Turtshield- I”and Operation Turtshield-II” was taken up to tackle the illegal trade of live turtles.
WCCB conducted Operation “Lesknow”, “Lesknow-II” and Operation “Lesknow-III” to gain the attention of enforcement agencies towards the illegal wildlife trade in lesser-known species of wildlife.
WCCB’s “Operation Clean Art” to drag the attention of enforcement agencies towards the illegal wildlife trade in Mongoose hair brushes.
“Operation Softgold” to tackle Shahtoosh Shawl(made from Chiru wool) illegal trade and to spread awareness among the weavers and traders engaged in this trade.
Operation Birbilto curb illegal trade in wild cat and wild bird species.
“Operation Wildnet”, “Operation Wildnet-II”, “Operation Wildnet-III”and “Operation Wildnet-IV” to draw the attention of the enforcement agencies within the country to focus their attention on the ever-increasing illegal wildlife trade over internet using social media platforms.
“Operation Freefly” on the illegal trade of live birdsand “Operation Wetmark” to ensure the prohibition of the sale of meat of wild animals in wet markets across the country.

About Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)

It has received the Asia Environmental Enforcement Award-2020awarded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
It is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to combat organised wildlife crime.
Under Section 38 (Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it is mandated to
collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlifecrime activities and to disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies for immediate action.
establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank;
co-ordinate actionsby various agencies in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of the Act;
assist foreign authorities and international organizationconcerned to facilitate co-ordination and universal action for wildlife crime control;
capacity building of the wildlife crime enforcement agenciesfor scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes and assist State Governments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crimes; and
advise the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications, relevant policy and laws.
assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item.