Species Protection in India

India is home to diverse species of both flora and fauna which are found all across the nation. While the Indian Government is concerned about the protection of the biodiversity of India, a few species are under threat. For the protection of such species, the Indian government has instituted various norms for the protection.

To ensure the protection of 5 species, the India Government has submitted proposals to list these species in the CITES secretariat meeting. This meeting has been scheduled in Geneva, Switzerland.

What has happened?

• The 6 species which have nominated are the smooth-coated otter, small-clawed otter, Tokay gecko, Indian star tortoise, wedgefish and Indian rosewood.
• While the Indian government has asked the CITES to include 5 species ( smooth-coated otter, small-clawed otter, Tokay gecko, Indian star tortoise, wedge fish) in the protection list, another species (Indian rosewood).
• India is one of the nations which is proposing the re-listing of the star tortoise from Appendix II of CITES to Appendix I of CITES.
• The endangered species face two main threats to their survival – this included the loss of habitat to agriculture and danger to the species due to illegal harvesting for the pet trade.

What is CITES?

The CITES (also known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments which aims to ensure that the survival of species is not threatened by international trade.