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Business News/ News / India/  India to pitch for international protection of Asian elephant at UN meet
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India to pitch for international protection of Asian elephant at UN meet

Inclusion of Asian elephant in the global list for international protection under UN’s CMS would give the species international conservation importance

Photo: APPremium
Photo: AP

NEW DELHI : The mainland Asian elephant is likely to be among the ten endangered migratory species to be included in the global list for international protection under United Nation (UN)’s Convention for Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The inclusion would give the species international conservation importance and enable range countries to collaborate, to protect the species as they naturally migrate across international boundaries.

The announcement is likely to be made in the upcoming 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (CMS) to be hosted by India, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from February 17-22.

While different countries have sent their proposals, India has proposed to include three species- the Indian elephant, the Great Indian Bustard and the Bengal Florican in the ‘Appendix I’ of the CMS Convention for ‘migratory species threatened with extinction’.

There are about 47 lakh elephants in the wild in the 13 range countries, with 60% of them in India. The government highlighted that the Indian elephant is struggling to survive in the continually shrinking, degraded and fragmented habitat and is frequently coming into conflict with people, apart from threats of poaching and illegal trade.

Since, it is known to naturally migrate across international borders; it faces similar challenges in other range countries, and there is need for a concerted action to protect them.

While, the other two species - the Great Indian Bustard and Bengal Florican have already been identified as critically endangered which face threats of hunting, and collision with power-lines during their migration to neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan and Nepal.

Under the proposal, the government intends to sign an agreement with the range countries to protect these birds from hunting, power-line collision and habitat loss.

Over 1,800 delegates from 130 nations are expected to attend the UN summit, which brings together states through which migratory animals pass, and lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range.

“Migratory species of birds and animals connect the world and we welcome them home. This is the theme of the conference," said Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, here on Monday. “Gibi - The Great Indian Bustard", one of the critically endangered species was announced as the mascot for the conference.

Expressing concern over the global decline in population of migratory species, Javadekar said, the conference would witness deliberations on all these key issues of concern regarding the migratory birds and animals, especially the emerging threats critical for their survival.

Jaguar, Urial, Little Bustard, Antipodean Albatross, Oceanic White-tip Shark, smooth hammer-head shark are other species which could be included in the list of endangered migratory species.

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Published: 10 Feb 2020, 07:33 PM IST
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