Assam’s First List of Threatened Species Ready For Effective Conservation

GUWAHATI: The Assam State Biodiversity Board has prepared the State’s maiden threatened species list comprising seven animals and seven plants.

Since Assam has now its own threatened species list the State Government can now effectively drawn up short and long-term conservation initiatives to prevent the extinction of these species.

With the preparation of the threatened species list collection of the species of plants and animals mentioned in the list is prohibited now.

The animal species are the red-headed vulture, Assamese day gecko, tokay gecko, black soft-shelled turtle, narrow-headed soft-shelled turtle, elongated tortoise and brown tortoise.

The seven plant species are Cathcart’s Magnolia, Griffith’s Magnolia, Magnolia, siya nahar, lady’s slipper orchid, Lanceleaf Vatica and cycas.

“Species such as gecko have been included in the list based on media reports and people’s perception. Gecko is facing a threat because of hunting, though studies on population estimation of the species in the wild are not available,” the official said.

The official said permission to collect these species might be applied for only for scientific research, herbariums and museum of scientific and academic institutions, propagation and any scientific investigation. Under Section 38 of the Biological Diversity Act 2002, the Centre, in consultation with the state government, may from time to time notify any species that is on the verge of extinction or likely to become extinct in the near future, as a “threatened species”.

Based on the comments and suggestions, the list was finalised and submitted to the government for forwarding to the Union forest ministry for notification as “threatened species of Assam”.

The Assam State Biodiversity Board said once such species are brought under the fold of Section 38 of the Biological Diversity Act 2002, for the state of Assam by declaring them as “threatened species”, protection of these species against illegal access and trade will become possible.

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