Skip to content Skip to navigation

NGOs oppose Wildlife (Protection ) Act Amendment

Aaranyak, a premier biodiversity conservation organization, along with Wildlife Protection Society of India and Wildlife Society of Odisha has submitted a joint memorandum to the Government of India through the Joint Director of Rajya Sabha Directorate demanding withdrawal of the Section 44 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act Amendment Bill 2013 which has been tabled in Rajya Sabha by the Government of India.

The memorandum stated that though the said amendment bill had proposed several   progressive measures for protection of wildlife in the country, the Section 44 will be detrimental to the livelihood security of lakhs of fishing community people as well as common people in the country. According to this Section, barring the fishes produced through systematic farming, all the fish species found in the natural environment will be considered as wildlife species. In case this definition is accepted, barring those businessmen armed with license from the Chief Wildlife Warden, no other person will be able to catch fish in natural wetlands and sell the same. Moreover, it will be considered an offence under the Wildlife (Protection) Act if fish is procured from unlicensed traders and even cooking of such fish. Such violation  will lead to imposition of fine upto Rs 25,000 and jail term upto three years.

Aaranyak of the opinion that such a definition of wildlife will be a lethal blow to the livelihood of lakhs of common people pushing their life to the darkness of uncertainty. Such a suicidal decision will strain the relations between the people and the government and facilitate some opportunist forces to exploit natural resources to their advantage which may lead to unrest in the country. Aaranyak, therefore, calls upon all the conscious organisations, institutions as well as general people raise a voice in unison against the Section 44 of the said amendment bill and persuade the government to drop the same.

Add new comment

Random Stories

India wins rain curtailed one day match

25 Jun 2007 - 6:37am | editor
Belfast : India won a rain curtailed one day match against Ireland. Unbeaten half centuries from Gautam Gambhir and Sourav Ganguly helped India register a nine-wicket victory at the Civil Service...

Disrupting bandh in Nagaland

1 Feb 2018 - 7:38am | AT News
DIMAPUR: Normal life remains heavily disrupted in Nagaland following a statewide bandh call on Thursday by the civil society organizations opposing the ongoing poll process without resolving the...

Training on Value Addition of Tomato

21 Mar 2008 - 3:59pm | Benjamin Kaman
A training cum demonstration on “Value addition of Tomato” was organized in KVK, Dudhnoi on 7thJan’ 2008 by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dudhnoi, Goalpara. Nearly forty women both...

IIM Shillong holds Virtual Workshop and Roundtable discussion for Business Incubators of North East of India

19 Jul 2021 - 9:18pm | Ranjan K Baruah
The ‘Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research & Analysis and Incubation and Enterprise Support Centre' at IIM Shillong hosted a two-day virtual workshop cum roundtable discussion for ‘...

Other Contents by Author

A sub-adult Greater adjutant stork, named Christina, was successfully released back to the nature on Saturday at Boragaon  near Deepar Beel in the outskirt of Guwahati city.This bird was rescued few months back at Dadara of Kamrup District by a team of Aaranyak members and local villagers after it had fallen down from its tree-top nest. The seriously injured chick was later admitted at Assam State Zoo Veterinary hospital and treated successfully under the guidance of renowned wildlife veterinarian Dr. M.L. Smith.Today this bird on being released back joined a flock of about 200 Greater Adjutant near Deepar Beel of Assam. “I am delighted to see so many Greater Adjutant together here...
Aaranyak, a society for Biodiversity conservation in NE India and the Numaligarh Refinary Limited celebrated the World Environment Day  on June 5 in a unique way simultaneously at 11 locations with as many events  around the world famous Kazirnaga National Park. The programme included audio-visual awareness talk, environmental games and more attracting street play on environmental pollution, loss of nature and natural resources due to negative behaviour of human being.The natural world is a wonderful gift we have inherited and adorned with the resources we and our future generation are dependent on. The world’s Natural Environment is in danger due to negative human behaviour that...
With an objective to enlighten police personnel of Assam about the importance of conservation of nature and wildlife for survival of humanity on World Environment Day (WED), Aaranyak, a premier bio-diversity conservation organisaton in the Northeast  today organised a programme in collaboration with Assam chapter of Institutions of  Engineers in India here.A large number of policemen both in uniform and civvies attended the programme that focused on the important role the police could play in prevention of wildlife crime and conservation of biodiversity. All the participants took a Green Oath in the programme.The policemen were listening when one of their senior officers, L R...
Aaranyak  in collaboration with Kalpadrum Foundation and Bhumi, and in association with the Kaziranga National Park Authority organized a three-day residential training and orientation programme for teachers from Karbi Anglong particularly from the area immediately south of the Kaziranga National Park. The training was held from 30th May to 1st June, 2013 at the Convention Center at Kohora. The Sarba Siksha Abhijan, Karbi Anglong sincerely permitted the teachers to attend the programme.It is worth mentioning that though Kaziranga National Park is known for its  over hundred years of successful conservation history, the Karbi Anglong hills in its vicinity and the communities living...
Aaranyak organised a mass signature campaign on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity with the current year theme of Water and Biodiversiy on Wednesday. As part of the day-long programme Aaranyak team pitched tent beside Beltola-Basistha Road in the city to facilitate environment enthusiasts among the public and students to tender their signature  and take a pledged towards biodiversity conservation. About 100 students from Bal Bharati School at Survey participated in the programme along with common people  from all  age groups who have appreciated the novel initiative of Aaranyak.On this  occasion Aaranyak also expresses its deep concern at the...
As an attempt to develop a pool of the next generation Naturalist and conservationists in Assam, Aaranyak in collaboration with the Digboi College and Digboi Forest Division conducted a 3-day long Wildlife Conservation Training Camp at Saraipung Range of Dehing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary from 25th to 27th March, 2013.Altogether 30 participants from 15 different localities of Upper Assam and 12 experts from Aaranyak, Digboi College, Forest Department and other institutions participated and interacted with the participants in camp.The training programme was inaugurated in the afternoon of 25th March with participation of the officials from Digboi Forest Division, faculties from...
House Sparrow used to be one of the common birds in India and in many countries in the world. This well-known bird, which would fill our home gardens for foraging on insects and kitchen scraps or build nests on our roof and cavities of our house, but in recent days there has been a rapid decline in sparrow population in many parts of the world including India.  A number of hypotheses have been put forward as possible causes of decline of House Sparrows in urban and suburban area. These include changing architecture of human habitation that has deprived House Sparrows of nesting sites, loss of tree cover, excessive use of pesticides, lack of traditional granaries, grocery shops and...
As part of its mission to create a pool of ‘Green Teachers’ in the State to give a thrust to conservation efforts, Aaranyak organised a day-long environment education orientation programme for school teachers from fringe areas of Manas Tiger Reserve (MTR) on 23 February, 2013 at Kachugaon Forest Inspection Bungalow (IB) under Kachugaon Forest Division of  Kokrajhar District of Assam.The programme was organized by in partnership with Green Forest Conservation Society  and in collaboration with Forest Department, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) of Assam. It was  sponsored by Taiwan Forestry Bureau. It happened to be first such training programme in fringe areas of MTR with...