More protection

Guwahati, Dec. 7: Penalties for poaching rhinos, a Schedule-I animal under Wildlife (Protection) (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2009, are insufficient, rhino specialist groups under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have said.

According to the IUCN, though the Assam government has increased penalties, these constitute a fraction of the value of a rhino horn in the end-use market.

The IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN/SSC) African and Asian Rhino Specialist Groups have informed this to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

The report states that though under the Wildlife (Protection) (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2009, the fine for a first time offender has been increased to Rs 50,000, the amount constitutes a fraction of the value of a rhino horn in an end-use market.

The issue will be discussed at the next meeting of CITES in Qatar from March 13 to 25, 2010.

The bill as an amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in Assam, in July this year has increased penalties for poaching Schedule-I animals that include rhinos.

For a first-time offender, the previous three-year jail term in the original act has been increased to seven years. For a second offence, the seven-year sentence has been increased to 10 years. The quantum of punishment can also be extended to life term.

“The step of the Assam government is indeed laudable and can be taken as an example for deterring people to go for rhino poaching,” Bibhab Talukdar, Chair Asian Rhino Specialist Group, told this correspondent.

The report said though penalties stipulated in the legislation were generally high, convictions were few and sentences often lenient.

“Overall, most range states provide full protection to rhino species under their wildlife protection acts. Penalties stipulated in the legislation are generally high, but convictions are few and sentences often lenient. Capturing rhino poachers and traders and collecting adequate evidence for successful convictions have proved to be very challenging,” the report said.

Despite the CITES request for data, no rhino horn stock information was made available by India nor any Asian range states.

Sources said in India, based on the forest department rhino horn stock registry, more than 1,000 rhino horns have been deposited with various treasuries of which more than 90 per cent are in Assam.

Most rhino horn stock results from recoveries from natural mortalities, but about 10 per cent of the horns are confiscated.