GUWAHATI, May 21 - Environmental degradation and high ecological imbalance are posing a threat to the existence of life on planet Earth. And, the increasing wildlife crimes are triggering an ecological disturbance. It was with the objective of disseminating information on wildlife crime and its legal aspects and strengthening collaborative endeavours to check the crimes that Aaranyak, jointly with the Gauhati High Court Bar Association, held a seminar a couple of days back on the topic �Wildlife crime and the laws�.
The seminar, held at the seminar hall of the Gauhati High Court, was inaugurated by Justice Arup Kumar Goswami and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, who were the chief guest and guest of honour respectively.
Addressing the gathering, Goswami mentioned that the greatest threat to wildlife was poaching and that fast-track courts formed for the purpose were one of the most effective means to tackle such crimes.
Justice Bhuyan dwelt on the environment, referring to the deep connection between Nature and wildlife to Indian cultures and philosophies. At the same time, he added, killing of animals or exhibiting their body parts was still considered a sign of aristocracy in society.
�In the semi-urban areas of Assam, there are still many old Assam-type houses, whose entrances are still decorated with the horns of deer, etc, besides the embellishment of the interiors with tiger or leopard skin,� he said. He also spoke about the gradual changes in the arena of wildlife after the 1970s with the introduction of the laws and how certain crimes were curbed with legal backing.
Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, secretary general and CEO of Aaranyak, during his presentation and speech on the topic �Wildlife crime and its global perspective� stressed the importance of Northeast India as one of the global biodiversity hotspots. He gave a detailed account on the diversity of wildlife in the region with an illustrative talk on the rhinos with special focus on Assam.
�Rhino poaching bothers us because of its impact on rhino population, on the morale of frontline forest guards, on overall conservation due to the added pressure on police, and most importantly because of its impact on national security,� he said.
The technical session of the seminar comprised a presentation on the topic �Illegal wildlife trade and changing trends of people�s perception on wildlife� by Rahul Dutta of the International Rhino Foundation. An open discussion followed under a panel of experts. Earlier, Banashree Gogoi, secretary general, Gauhati High Court Bar Association, delivered the welcome speech.
