Why in the News?
- A series of RTI applications filed by The Hindu across 19 States/UTs revealed that most State Forest Departments have no records of breeders, pet shops, or ownership registrations for the African Grey Parrot, despite the species being widely available in pet markets.
- Only Kerala reported receiving 17 breeder licence applications through the PARIVESH portal, exposing major gaps in India’s monitoring of exotic species trade.
About Species Profile
- African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus)
- IUCN Status: Endangered
- CITES Status: Appendix I (Highest level of protection; commercial international trade highly restricted)
- WPA 1972: Listed under Schedule IV (post-2022 amendments)
Legal & Regulatory Framework (India)
Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024
- Mandatory registration of all exotic live species on PARIVESH 2.0.
- Applies to: Pet owners, Pet shops and Breeders.
Breeders of Species Licence Rules, 2023
To breed any CITES Appendix I species, an applicant must possess:
- Breeding Licence from State Chief Wildlife Warden
- CITES Import Permit
- DGFT Import Licence Number
- NOC from State Chief Wildlife Warden prior to import
Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972
- African Grey Parrot → Schedule IV
- Illegal possession/trade punishable under WPA
| With reference to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which of the following statements is/are correct? (2015)
(1) IUCN is an organ of the United Nations and CITES is an international agreement between governments. (2) IUCN runs thousands of field projects around the world to better manage natural environments. (3) CITES is legally binding on the States that have joined it, but this Convention does not take the place of national laws. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
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