(a) whether smuggling of ivory along with the goods made therefrom has been reported in the country;
(b) if so, whether the Government proposes to take any concrete step to check it; and
(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) to ( c ) Smuggling of ivory along with the goods made therefrom has been reported in the country. Following measures have been taken by the Government to check smuggling of ivory stop wildlife crime in the country:
(i) Asian elephant is listed in Schedule I of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 thereby according it highest degree of protection. Offences committed in respect of these species attract punishment prescribed under the Act.
(ii) Trade of ivory is prohibited in the country.
(iii) Financial and technical assistance is provided to 16 Elephant range states under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Elephant.
(iv) Regular and extensive patrolling of forest areas and anti poaching measures by frontline field staff are carried out.
(v) Awareness programmes amongst the general public on importance of protecting elephants and their habitats have been taken up.
(vi) Elephant has been declared as a ‘National Heritage Animal’.
(vii) Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and covering important wildlife habitats have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats.
(viii) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has established the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau for the purpose of Collection, collation and dissemination of intelligence on wildlife crime to various agencies for apprehension of criminals.
(ix) The important steps taken by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to combat illegal wildlife trade include:
(a) Coordinating inter-agency enforcement efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade.
(b) Undertaking joint operations with state enforcement agencies to apprehend criminals involved in illegal activities.
(c) Developing an online wildlife crime management system for uploading the wildlife crime data through its web portal.
(d) Collating criminal profiles of 723 wildlife criminals involved in the illegal activities for the information of field enforcement agencies.
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