Guwahati, May 10: India has moved the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) to provide more protection to the Chinese pangolin and the Indian pangolin.

The two species are predicted to decline considerably in numbers in the future.

The issue will be discussed at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of Cites at Johannesburg (South Africa) from September 24 to October 5.

CITES is an international agreement between governments whose aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

At present, the Chinese pangolin and the Indian pangolin are listed in Appendix II and the proposal is to move them to Appendix I.

Appendix 1 lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants and are threatened with extinction. Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction but may become so unless trade is closely controlled.

While the Chinese pangolin ( Manis pentadactyla) is native only to the north and northeastern states of India apart from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, China, Lao PDR, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, the Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is widely distributed across the country.

Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are small to medium-sized nocturnal mammals.

Official sources said the proposal mentioned that the Indian pangolin, which is listed as endangered, is subject to increasing levels of poaching, principally for its meat and scales - both for local use and for illegal international trade - and the species should be moved to Appendix I.

The species is predicted to decline by 50 per cent over the next two decades.

The Chinese pangolin is listed as critically endangered because of predicted decline of upto 90 per cent over the next 21 years.

On the Chinese pangolin, the proposal said the species was reported in the 1980s as common in the undisturbed hill forests of Arunachal Pradesh. However, little is known about the total population in India. Trade figures suggest this species is under severe illegal hunting pressure in the Northeast.

An article on the illegal trade and use of pangolin body parts in India published in Traffic Journal (2015) by Rajesh Kumar Mohapatra and others said local trade in the scales and meat of the Indian pangolin has also been reported from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, Manipur, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Tripura while collection of the Chinese pangolin has been for meat and scales, such items have been reported seized in various parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Assam.

The note said reported seizures involving pangolins occurred in many states of the country (2009-14), comprising more than 5,913kg of pangolin scales and two whole pangolins. Seizures took place in 10 states with Manipur reporting 25 seizures.

"While pangolin meat is typically consumed or sold in local markets, scales are delivered to middlemen from Calcutta, Chennai and from border towns such as Siliguri in Bengal, Moreh in Chandel district, Manipur, Shillong in Meghalaya and Aizawl in Mizoram and from where they are destined for China via Myanmar and Nepal.

"Myanmar and Nepalese nationals apprehended with pangolin scales and Indian nationals apprehended with Myanmar currency and pangolin scales support the evidence of this trade link," the paper said.