MoEF notified Wild Boar as Vermin for a year in Uttarakhand

Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) on 3 February 2016 notified wild pig as vermin for a period of one year from the date of issue of the notification in Uttarakhand.

The notification claimed that in exercise of the powers conferred by section 62 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Union government declared wild pig (sus scrofa) listed to be vermin.

It declared the animals to be vermin across 13 districts (71 of 79 sub divisions) of Uttarakhand.

What is being declared to be Vermin?

• It will allow state authorities to carry out an extermination of the declared species on a large scale without attracting penal provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• Forest staff, police men or anybody who has got licensed revolver can kill the animal.

• The forest department will provide ammunition by giving 50 percent fund for purchasing the bullet, the remaining amount of which will be paid to the user once they provide the video-graphical evidence along with empty bullet used to kill the pig.

• The carcass has to be burnt as per the norms with regard to wildlife. Videography of this method of disposal will have to be furnished to the forest official of the area.

Background

The Uttarakhand Government has reported harm to life and property, including large-scale destruction of agriculture, due to overpopulation of wild pig in areas outside forests. The forest department has sent the proposal to the MoEF to declare both wild pig and neel gai (blue bull) vermin in July 2015. However, it is only wild pig, which has been permitted.

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