VERMIN UNDER WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change permitted three States, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Himachal Pradesh, to declare earlier protected wild animal species as “vermin” under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, thereby allowing private shooters and others to kill these species with few safeguards and no risk of prosecution. Similarly, two other states, Maharashtra and Telangana, issued orders.

What is vermin

• Vermin means wild mammals and birds which are harmful to crops, farm animals or which carry disease.
• In India, wild animals can be declared as vermin if they have become (i) dangerous to human life or property (including standing crops on any land). (ii) become disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery.
• Using these provisions, any animal listed in Schedule I to IV of WPA can be declared vermin by listing it in Schedule V for a specific period. Currently, some animals like the common crow, fruit bats, mice and rats have been listed as vermin in Schedule V of WPA
• Wildlife Act that empower every State’s Chief Wildlife Warden to authorise hunters to cull animals in a region where they are a proven nuisance
• Wildlife laws divide species into ‘schedules’ ranked from I to V. Schedule I members are the best protected, in theory, with severe punishments meted out to those who hunt them. Wild boars, nilgai and rhesus monkeys are Schedule II and III members — also protected, but can be hunted under specific conditions. Crows and fruit bat fall in Schedule 5, the vermin category.

Supreme court and Animal welfare board on Vermin issue

• The Supreme Court has asked animal rights organisations to make representations before the Centre regarding notifications declaring nilgais, monkeys and wild boar as vermin, with the Animal Welfare Board of India terming the government’s step an arbitrary decision.
• Animal Welfare Board had questioned the notification of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change declaring nilgais, monkeys and wild boar as vermin for one year in Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It has also termed this as an arbitrary decision.

Animal Welfare Board of India

• a statutory advisory body
• Under ministry of environment and forest
• established under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960
• works to ensure that animal welfare laws in the country are followed and provides grants to Animal Welfare Organisations.

By: Mona Kaushal