Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021

• The Lok Sabha passed the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021.
• The Bill amends the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The Act regulates the protection of wild animals, birds and plants.

Wild Life (Protection) Act,1972

• Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides a legal framework for the protection of various species of wild animals and plants, the management of their habitats, and the regulation and control of trade in wild animals, plants and products made from them.
• The Act also lists schedules of plants and animals that are afforded various degrees of protection and monitoring by the government.
• The Act has been amended several times, with the last amendment having been made in 2006.

Changes Made

• The Bill seeks to increase the species protected under the law, and implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
• Currently, the Act has six schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four), and vermin species (one). The Bill reduces the total number of schedules to four.
• The Bills empowers the central government to regulate or prohibit the import, trade, possession or proliferation of invasive alien species.