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The Toll of Ambiguity in the Government’s Culling Orders This piece finds place on The Wire Please find the edited version on The Wire here The unedited version in text below Thanks are due to Kartik Shanker, Abi Tamim Vanak, Arpan Sharma, Vasudevan Mukunth, The Wire and Dharmendra Khandal. The scenario. Media extensively covered the debate around culling during May and June 2016. A spat between two cabinet ministers underscored the sound and fury. The Supreme Court has since refused to ‘Stay’ the Central Government notifications allowing for Nilgai, Rhesus Macaque and Wild Boar to be declared vermin under section 62 of the Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA); Bihar, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh were the states affected. We have very little understanding on how the situation has shaped in these states post the culling decisions. This also stands true for Maharashtra and Telangana where the state governments (under section 11(b) of WLPA) have permitted cull...

Pleased to share of the workshop at SCCS on Culling Culling: Beyond the sound and fury Date - 22nd September, 2016 Time - 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm "Recent culling orders stare at all of us in the face; however barring a few, the students, researchers, conservationists have largely been silent on the topic. While the press has ‘dropped’ the issue for now, chances of culling being extended to other areas and species are high. This discussion session will attempt to bring out what we ( students, scientists, conservationists ) could have done and more importantly, what we can do now?" Select readings: The Culling Fields The debate over culling in India requires more than just sound and fury Previous workshop at SCCS: Demystifying Conservation Education

The lack of research on the topic is stark. The situation is complex and one that warrants time and attention from multiple stakeholders. A few months ago, the Union environment ministry asked states to submit proposals if they wanted to declare as vermin certain wildlife species that were causing harm to crops, property or human life. Declaring theses species as vermin would allow state and forest authorities to kill these animals without attracting penal provisions under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Subsequently, three states were given permission to designate as vermin species that were proving to be a nuisance to humans. These were   wild pigs   in Uttarakhand,   nilgais and wild pigs   in Bihar and   rhesus macaques in Himachal Pradesh. A species can be declared vermin under Section 62 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Once this happens, the species moves to Schedule 5 of the Act and loses protection under the law. The recent mass ...

Where the 'vermins' fight for survival... This article finds place in Deccan Herald on 7 th June 2016. Thanks are due to Deccan Herald , FIAPO and all the people who have been patient with my questions and helped increase my understanding on the topic. So what exactly is the situation when a species is declared ‘vermin’, I asked a lawyer working on environmental issues. We were discussing the recent government orders ( and notifications ) that allow hunting of select species. It is akin to a rat in your house — in other words, you can kill, eat or sell the species, I was told. So — for example — I can actually catch a nilgai ( in districts of Uttarakhand where it is declared a vermin ), tie it in front of my house, even beat it and it could not be questioned by law, I asked just to confirm. You are correct, came the reply. The Pocket Oxford Dictionary refers to vermin as ‘mammals and birds harmful to game, crops’. The Wildlife Protection Act in India has 2 pro...

This piece finds place on Conservation India . Thanks Ramki. Uttarakhand, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh have had – in recent months – notifications issued by the Central Government stating that select species of wildlife have been declared as vermin in specified areas. In other words for a specified period, in these areas, the wild pig in Uttarakhand, wild pig and Nilgai in Bihar and Rhesus Macaque in Himachal Pradesh are shifted to schedule five of the Wildlife Protection Act. Besides, Maharashtra and Telangana have had culling orders issued by the Chief Wildlife Wardens. The latter has even appointed a panel of hunters! These decisions – for species that are damaging human life or property (including crops) – appear to be ad hoc and random. To begin with, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has not met in recent months so the chances of an issue as critical as this having been discussed by the country’s apex body are next to nil. These notifications and orders have impo...

Culling reported in ( English ) Media ( Updated 7th May, 2016 ) (An opinion piece on the topic here ) Species declared Vermin by Centre ( Request from State accepted by Centre ) Sr. State & Species Links: 1 Uttarakhand v   Wild Boar February 2016: ü   http://www.livemint.com/Politics/TSea6J0X9dNMS2eibTMW9M/Wild-pigs-declared-vermin-in-Uttarakhand-for-a-year.html ü   http://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wild-boar-declared-vermin-in-uttrakhand-52774 ü   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Wild-pig-declared-as-vermin-by-environment-ministry/articleshow/50919592.cms ü   http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/uttarakhand/killing-of-wild-boar-allowed-in-state/194545.html March 2016: ü   http://kaajcareer.blogspot.in/2016/03/wild-pigs-declared-vermin-in.html April 2016: ü   http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/uttarakhand/community/almora-traders-see-red-over-monkey-...