Who Are Vermins, Where Are They Placed In The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021

The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Parliament in December 2021. The bill has proposed changes to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The amendment aims to position the act in changed circumstances and try to provide a solution to the problem of culling vermin.

The current act has 6 schedules providing varying degrees of protection to flora and fauna. Schedule V lists species classified as ¡®vermin¡¯.

Who are Vermins?

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Vermins are animals that are threatening to humans, crops, livestock or property. They are considered to be harmful and any species declared vermin can be hunted or culled without any restriction. A few examples are rats, mice, common crows, fruit bats etc.

Species classified as vermin are placed in schedule V of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Vermin means wild animals that can destroy crops or can carry disease. The central government derives its power to declare any wild as vermin from the 62nd section of the Wildlife Protection Act. Further, an animal can be declared as vermin for any area for a given period of time

However, wild animals placed in Schedule I and Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 can not be declared Vermin and the act does not define the word Vermin. The particular species will not be covered under the Wildlife Protection Act and can be hunted or culled without restriction once declared vermin.

Human-wildlife conflict

In Himachal Pradesh, the agriculture department reported a crop loss of ?184.28 crore due to wild animals, particularly monkeys in 2016. According to the 2020 census, the state has a monkey population of 1, 36,443, which was more than 3.17 lakh in 2004. However, the central government turned down the request of Himachal Pradesh to declare rhesus macaque monkeys ¡®vermin¡¯ again in 2021.

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Over 7,562 incidents of crop-raiding by wild animals were reported in Tamil Nadu between 2017-2020. While Andhra Pradesh recorded 7,589 incidents, where crops on 5,543 acres of land were damaged.

Farmers in Kerala protested demanding vermin status for wild boars but the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change said that declaring wild boars as vermin would further intensify their indiscriminate killing and affect the ecology.

The Bihar and Uttrakhand governments also demanded vermin status for Bluebells or nilgai and farmers of Goa have been demanding that animals like monkeys, wild boars and peacocks be declared as vermin to prevent crop-damaging.

Ecological impact

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Few concerts are attached with the declaration of any animal vermin. The act of killing could result in severe ecological imbalance and impact the food chain in the region. The mass culling does not address the real reason. Human-Wildlife Conflicts are increasing due to habitat destruction and encroachment.

Further, the developmental works, industrialisation and agricultural expansion reduced forest cover and reduced the land for wild animals.

What is the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021?

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In the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021, the number of schedules will be reduced from 6 to 4 and species under Schedule I will be provided the highest level of protection while species categorised in Schedule II will be given a lesser degree of protection.

Schedule III concerns plants and the bill seeks to do away with Schedule V completely. Further, it deletes the schedule for vermin species and empowers the central government to directly declare ay species as vermin.

This specific change will lead to declaring any species as vermin easily and is projected to impact 41 species of mammals, 864 birds, 17 reptiles and amphibians and 58 insects.

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972?

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 was enacted to protect the wildlife in India. The act ensures ecological security by providing safeguard and protection to wild animals, birds and plant species. The act prohibits the hunting of many animal species.

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There are various constitutional provisions for the wildlife act like Article 48A and Article 51A. Article 48A directs the state to protect and improve the environment and safeguard wildlife and forests. Another article 51A deals with fundamental duties imposed on citizens to protect and improve the natural environment.

The act contains 6 schedules for the categorical protection of flora and fauna. Schedule I covers endangered species that need strict protection like Bengal Tiger, snow leopard, the blackbuck etc. Schedule II includes animals accorded high protection and prohibition on their trade. Some examples are Jackal, Sperm Whale, King Cobra etc. Schedule III & IV include species that are not endangered but are protected from hunting. Schedule V includes animals that are considered vermin and are permitted for hunting. Schedule VI deals with regulations for the cultivation of a specified plant and restricts its sale, possession, and transportation.