The Union environment ministry notified the Breeders of Species Licence Rules - 2023 recently.
India has introduced a license system to regulate the captive breeding of exotic animals.
It includes species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
It allows breeders to obtain licenses for the breeding of various animals, such as bears, pandas, dogs, cats, apes, lemurs, birds, and reptiles.
These regulations seek to better implement CITES and enhance wildlife protection measures in the country.
Under the new rules, individuals engaged in breeding captive species listed in Appendix I of Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act 2022 must apply for a breeders’ license within 90 days of the Act’s commencement.