22 July 2019


The United Nation’s (UN) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has recommended that India’s proposal for a higher protection status for Indian star tortoises, a major wildlife species that is increasingly being smuggled out of the country, be rejected.

The Indian star tortoise , which lives in dry scrublands, grasslands, and coastal areas in south Asia, is currently included in CITES Appendix II, which includes species that are not ‘threatened with extinction’, but are allowed to be treated under certain conditions. However, India wants the species to be added to Appendix I to completely stop the illegal trade. The CITES Secretariat said it was not clear what additional benefit an Appendix-I listing would provide to the conservation of the species. “The Secretariat recommends that this proposal be rejected,” the recommendation said. India, supported by Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Senegal, proposed to enhance the protection status to ensure stringent trade control and improve scrutiny of captive-breeding operations.

The reptiles are the world’s most illegally traded species of tortoise and wildlife experts said they are being stolen from the wild in unprecedented numbers for the pet and food industry.

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