AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES AND THEIR HABITATS

Case Overview and Summary

Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act

Objectives and Policies (Section 2):
- Conserve and protect wildlife species and habitats to promote ecological balance and biodiversity
- Regulate collection and trade of wildlife
- Pursue Philippine commitment to international conventions on wildlife protection
- Support scientific studies on biodiversity conservation

Scope and Jurisdiction (Sections 3-4):
- Applies to all wildlife species in the Philippines, including protected areas and critical habitats
- Covers exotic species subject to trade, cultured, or bred in captivity
- DENR has jurisdiction over terrestrial plants, animals, turtles, tortoises, wetland species, amphibians, and dugong
- DA has jurisdiction over aquatic critical habitats, aquatic resources like fish, aquatic plants, invertebrates, and marine mammals except dugong

Definitions (Section 5):
- Defines terms like bioprospecting, by-products, captive-breeding, collection, conservation, threatened species, endemic species, exotic species, permits, habitats, and more

Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources (Sections 6-20):
- Activities allowed based on scientific data showing no detriment to species survival (Section 6)
- Collection of wildlife allowed with proper techniques and for traditional use by indigenous people, but not for threatened species (Section 7)
- Possession of wildlife requires proof of financial and technical capability (Section 8)
- Collection and possession of by-products allowed if legally obtained (Section 9)
- Local transport of wildlife allowed unless prejudicial to wildlife and public health (Section 10)
- Export/import of wildlife allowed with permit and recipient's capability to maintain it (Section 11)
- Introduction, reintroduction, or restocking of endemic/indigenous wildlife allowed for population enhancement with clearance (Section 12)
- Introduction of exotic species prohibited in protected areas and critical habitats, requires clearance and environmental impact study (Section 13)
- Bioprospecting allowed with undertaking and prior informed consent from concerned parties (Section 14)
- Scientific research on wildlife allowed with undertaking/agreement and gratuitous permit (Section 15)
- Biosafety guidelines to be followed for genetic engineering and pathogenic organisms (Section 16)
- Commercial breeding of wildlife allowed with permit, using only progenies and unproductive parent stock (Section 17)
- List of economically important species to be established, with population assessment and allowable harvest schedule (Section 18)
- Designation of management and scientific authorities for international trade in endangered species (Section 19)
- Secretary authorized to issue permits for wildlife farm/culture, collection, transport, export/import, with corresponding validity periods (Section 20)
- Fees and charges to be imposed for permit issuance, including export fee not greater than 3% of export value (Section 21)

Protection of Threatened Species (Sections 22-25):
- Secretary to determine and classify threatened species based on scientific data and international criteria (Section 22)
- Collection of threatened species allowed only for scientific, breeding, or propagation purposes by accredited entities (Section 23)
- Conservation breeding of threatened species encouraged, with simultaneous habitat rehabilitation/protection (Section 24)
- Commercial breeding of threatened species allowed with proven techniques and commitment to conservation breeding (Section 24)
- Critical habitats of threatened species outside protected areas to be designated and protected (Section 25)

Registration of Threatened and Exotic Species (Section 26):
- Persons/entities to register threatened and exotic species in their possession within 12 months after the law's effectivity
- Unregistered threatened wildlife to be confiscated after the set period

Illegal Acts (Section 27):
- Lists prohibited acts like killing, injuring, destroying habitats, introducing species, trading, collecting, possessing, transporting wildlife, unless allowed under the law

Fines and Penalties (Section 28):
- Imprisonment and fines ranging from P10,000 to P1,000,000 and 10 days to 12 years, depending on the threatened category of the species involved
- Confiscation of wildlife, derivatives, paraphernalia, tools, and conveyances used in violations
- Deportation of alien offenders after serving sentence and paying fines
- Fines to increase by 10% every 3 years to account for inflation

Other Provisions:
- Establishment of Wildlife Management Fund for habitat rehabilitation, research, enforcement, and monitoring (Section 29)
- Deputation of wildlife enforcement officers from NGOs, citizen groups, and law enforcement agencies (Section 30)
- Establishment of national wildlife research centers for terrestrial and aquatic species (Section 31)
- Establishment of wildlife rescue centers to take custody of confiscated, abandoned, or donated wildlife (Section 32)
- Creation of wildlife traffic monitoring units at strategic air and seaports (Section 33)
- Tax exemptions for donations and contributions to wildlife conservation efforts (Section 34)
- Local government units to initiate conservation measures for endemic flagship species (Section 35)
- Regulation of botanical gardens, zoological parks, and similar establishments (Section 36)
- Promulgation of implementing rules and regulations within 12 months (Section 37)
- Appropriations from the General Appropriations Act (Section 38)
- Repealing and separability clauses (Sections 39-40)
- Effectivity 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or newspapers (Section 41)