Activists submit plea to Kerala Governor against Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill

Thiruvananthapuram: A group of animal rights activists and researchers have urged Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar to withhold assent to the Kerala Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill alleging that the proposed amendments pose grave constitutional, legal, and ecological dangers.

The Kerala assembly passed the bill making the amendments as a measure to address man-animal conflicts. But, there were allegations that the state government was succumbing to pressure from lobbies with vested interests and no scientific studies were conducted to identify the real issues leading to man-animal conflicts.

A representation signed by around 70 known persons including Medha Patkar and Maneka Gandhi pointed out that the proposed amendments decentralise the exclusive powers vested with the chief wildlife wardens to permit killing and translocation of wild animals to chief conservator of forest and district collectors. It also allows the state government to declare wild animals as vermin.

Wildlife activists fear that these powers could be widely misused and lead to reckless killing of wild animals.

"The bill has been framed without reference to scientific studies, ecological assessments, or expert institutional recommendations," the representation points out.

They also said that the state government did not obtain the approval of the National Board of Wildlife for making the key amendments in the Wildlife Protection Act. The state was also carrying out a misleading campaign that the central wildlife laws were impractical in dealing with man-animal conflict.

The state's move to amend the wildlife laws would set a wrong precedent. Moreover it is a violation of the constitutional obligations of the state in safeguarding wildlife, they point out.

A delegation representing the Coexistence Collective, Kerala will be calling on the Governor to personally appraise him of the concerns over the proposed amendments.