The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
- Vermin are certain wild animals that can be legally hunted or culled due to their significant harm to crops, livestock, and property.
- The state government assesses the damage caused by the species and recommends its declaration as vermin.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) reviews the request, consulting experts if necessary.
- Upon approval, the MoEFCC issues a notification in the Official Gazette declaring the species as vermin in the specified area.
- This declaration is temporary, reviewed periodically, and aims to minimize ecological disruption while protecting human interests.
- The Tamil Nadu government has decided to allow the culling of wild boars causing distress to farmers near forest areas.
- The decision was taken based on the Farmers’ Conflict Resolution Committee which included representatives from the Departments of Forest, Revenue, Agriculture, and Horticulture, as well as scientific experts and wildlife enthusiasts, was formed to study the impact of raids by elephants and wild pigs on crops.
The wild pig (Sus scrofa)
- It is a widespread and adaptable mammal found across various habitats globally.
- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified wild pigs as “Least Concerned” due to their wide distribution and large population.
- In India, the wild pig is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. It is listed under Schedule III of the Act, protected from poaching, hunting and trading.
- The 2023 guidelines by the MoEFCC on mitigating human-wild boar conflict say the animals are “multi-speciality ecosystem engineers”.
- They help disperse seeds through their ploughing, form the prey base for large carnivores such as tigers, and are important scavengers due to their omnivorous diets.
- Areas adjacent to reserve forests would be divided into three zones: Zone A (within one kilometre from forest limits), Zone B (one to five kilometres), and Zone C (beyond five kilometres).
- The shooting of wild pigs will not be permitted within five kilometres of the reserve forest.
- While farmers have requested permission to cull wild boars, experts have raised concerns about indiscriminate killing.
- The government emphasized that any culling must follow a scientific approach, considering the intensity of conflict and the frequency of incidents on farmland outside Zone C.
Dig Deeper: Besides wild pigs, which other animals are harmful to agriculture and have repeatedly been proposed for declaration as vermin?
