Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jun 8: Senior High Court judge and president of Karnataka Judicial Academy S R Bannurmath noted, that India of late, has emerged as a major point of trade for illegal wildlife and that poaching and trafficking in wildlife has grown into a huge trade in the world.

He was addressing a two day orientation programme for judicial officers and senior forest officers, on wildlife conservation, organised by the department of forests and World Wildlife Fund India here on Saturday, June 7.

Conviction rate in wildlife act violation cases continues to be low, although High Courts and the Supreme Court have taken a pro-active stand on such cases. Lower courts have not been giving proper attention to these cases. Judiciary need to be more sensitive to such cases, he opined. Bannurmath gave the example of relentless felling of sandalwood trees and hunting of various endangered animals, for the steep decline in their numbers in the country.

Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph expressed the need for the judges to be sensitised to various provisions contained in the Wildlife Act and other forest related offences to enable them to handle cases related to this act effectively. He expressed the view that the courts by far, have always extended support to the wildlife conservation and environment protection.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests A K Verma said that the judiciary has been supportive of the department's endeavours to conserve ecology and wildlife. The forest department itself is plagued by lack of manpower and infrastructure. The department does not have enough young officials to efficiently carry out the duties assigned to it, he felt.

High court judges, senior officials of the forest department and other judicial officers were present at the programme.