Major amendments to be introduced in wildlife act

Islamabad : The federal government has prepared a draft to introduce some major amendments to the wildlife laws to ensure the protection and preservation of wildlife animals.

The details provided by an official showed that the upcoming legislation would help address some basic issues including illegal wildlife trade, habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, and climate change.

Some of the drawbacks of the existing Wildlife Act include mild penalties to offenders, illegal wildlife trade, personal ownership certificates for animal articles like tiger and leopard skins, no coverage of foreign endangered wildlife, and little emphasis on the protection of plant species. Wildlife experts already informed the government that limiting factors like the availability of food, water, shelter, and space could affect animal and plant populations. Other limiting factors, like competition for resources and disease, can also impact populations.

Funding allocations declined between 2010 and 2020. At the same time, the number of species listed for protection increased by over 300%. The environmentalists also think it needs more teeth and more funding as the existing laws are not working well. The proper implementation of laws also needs concerted efforts by all stakeholders. An official has said, “There will be no zoo in Islamabad as we will establish only a sanctuary and rehabilitation center for wildlife animals.” He said “The proposed amendments in the Wildlife Act have been prepared in consultation with the wildlife experts and these will certainly help protect wildlife species.”