Why in the News?
The Kerala Cabinet is exploring the legal possibility of introducing a bill to permit scientific and regulated culling of wild animals, particularly feral boars.
What are Vermins?
- Definition: Vermins are animals considered harmful or nuisance-causing because they damage crops, threaten livestock, or pose risks to human life and property.
- Examples: Common vermins include rats, mice, common crows, and fruit bats.
- Legal Effect: When an animal is classified as vermin, it loses legal protection and becomes exempt from conservation safeguards.
Provisions Related to Vermin in Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972:
- Schedule V: Lists animals classified as vermin, which can be hunted freely.
- Section 62: Allows the central government to declare any wild animal (except those in Schedule I and Part II of Schedule II) as vermin for a specified area and time period.
- Protection Status: Once declared vermin, the animal is treated as a Schedule V species, losing protection.
- Exclusions: Animals in Schedules I and II (e.g., tigers, elephants) enjoy the highest protection and cannot be declared vermin.
- Section 11: Chief Wildlife Wardens can allow trapping, capture, or killing of animals like wild boars in cases of public safety or property damage.
- Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022:
- Reduction of Schedules: From six to four, with Schedule V has been removed.
- Direct Declaration Power: It allows the Centre to directly declare any species (except those in Schedule I) as vermin, enabling broader culling without the older categorisation system.
How are Vermins Declared?
- State Initiation: The state sends a formal request to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- Declaration: If justified, the Centre issues a notification, declaring the species vermin for a specific region and time frame.
- Temporary Status: This declaration is not permanent and applies only to the area and time mentioned.
- Examples:
- Wild boar in Uttarakhand
- Nilgai (blue bull) in Bihar
- Rhesus monkeys in Himachal Pradesh
| [UPSC 2024] Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The Indian Flying Fox is placed under the “vermin” category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Statement-II: The Indian Flying Fox feeds on the blood of other animals. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? Options: (a) Both statement I and Statement II are correct and statement II explains statement I (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I (c) Statement- I is correct , but Statement II is incorrect* (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct |
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