Australia

Australia Government has introduced the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
(EPBC) Act, 1999. It provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and
internationally significant flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places. South
Australias biodiversity has suffered, since European colonization, from the combined impacts of
land clearing, grazing and introduced species on its fragile semiarid land resulting threat of
extinction to one quarter of all flora and fauna species recorded in South Australia. National
Parks and Wildlife Act, 1972(SA) aims to provide for the establishment and management of
reserves to provide for the conservation of wildlife in a natural environment and other purposes.
Native Vegetation Act, 1991(SA) sets the goal to conserve, protect and enhance the native
vegetation of the State and especially remnant native vegetation, in order to prevent further
reduction of biological diversity. Wilderness Protection Act, 1992(SA) assesses all land in the
State and identifies those parts of the State that meet the wilderness criteria to a sufficient extent
to justify protection under this Act. Environment Protection Act, 1993 (SA) aims to promote
Ecologically Sustainable Development. Fisheries Management Act, 2007(SA) aims to protect,
manage, use and develop the aquatic resources of the State in a manner that is consistent with
ecologically sustainable development. In addition to these, there are several legislation(s) in
South Australia for protection of biodiversity namely the Natural Resources Management Act,
2004(SA); the Forestry Act,1950(SA); the Mining Act,1971(SA) etc. There are many State and
local laws to protect the environment and biodiversity of Western Australia. The Wildlife
Conservation Act, 1950 does not protect biodiversity to the same extent as legislation in place in
other Australian jurisdictions. The Environmental Protection Act, 1986(WA) and its subsidiary
legislation, such as the Environmental Protection Regulations, 1987(WA) protect the
environment and prevent, control and abate pollution and environmental harm. Regional and
Local Planning Schemes created under the Planning and Development Act, 2005(WA) may
include measures aiming at the protection of the environment. These planning schemes are
legally binding. Western Australian biodiversity is directly protected under the provisions of
Wildlife Conservation Act, 1950 (WA). The Fish Resources Management Act, 1994 (WA) also
protects Western Australias aquatic species.

England
The Hare Preservation Act, 1892 forbids the sale of brown and mountain hares during their
normal breeding season, March to July inclusive. The Ground Game Act, 1880 provides the
tenant farmers the right to kill brown and mountain hares on their land at any time of the year to
protect crops. Under the provisions of the Conservation of Seals Act, 1970, it is an offence to
take or kill any seal except under licence in particular circumstances. The Wildlife and
Countryside Act, 1981 (amended in 1991) contains the provisions for the treatment and
management of protected species listed as (birds), (mammals, reptiles, fish and invertebrates)
and (plants). The Protection of Badgers Act, 1992 makes it illegal to willfully kill, injure, take,
cruelly treat, sell, possess or mark a badger. The provisions made under the Wild Mammals
Protection Act, 1996 protects wild mammals from specific listed acts of willful cruelty, such as
beating, stabbing, burning or drowning. The Town and Country Planning (Trees) Regulation,
1999 makes provisions for protecting any tree, group of trees or woodland to conserve their
amenity value by allowing the local planning authority to place a Tree Preservation Order on
them. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act for England and Wales, 2000 introduces the law
relating to nature conservation and protection of wildlife. This Act places a statutory duty on
Government Departments and the National Assembly of Wales to have regard to biodiversity
conservation and to promote conservation action by others. Section 74 of the Act requires the
preparation and maintenance of lists of priority species and habitats. The said Act also
strengthens the legal protection for threatened species with regard to killing, injuring, disturbing
or destroying places used for shelter and protection. There are provisions under the Agricultural
Act, 1947; the Agricultural Act (Scotland) (1948); the Forestry Act, 1967 and the Rabies
(Control) Order, 1974 to control several species. The Deer Act (England and Wales), 1991 and
the Deer (Scotland) Act, 1996 specify seasons and methods for killing deer. In Northern Ireland,
wildlife is principally protected by the Wildlife (NI) Order, 1985. In response to the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) was introduced in
1994. The UK BAP sets out a programme for conserving biodiversity in the UK and includes
lists of species and habitats whichdeserve conservation priorities. The European Union has set an
ambitious target to halt biodiversity loss by 2010. Securing Biodiversity - a new framework for
delivering priority habitats and species in England (2008) sets out the new landscapescale
approach for delivering biodiversity priority habitats and species. It may be stated that Local

Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs) set out actions to conserve and enhance the biodiversity of a
particular area through local partnership work. Recovery of species is achieved through Species
Recovery Programme, which supports several large partnerships with conservation
organizations. England has introduced a number of ways to protect its biodiversity: (i) protecting
the best wildlife sites, (ii) promoting the recovery of declining species and habitats, (iii)
embedding biodiversity into all policy and decision-making, (iv) enthusing people, (v)
developing the evidence base, and (vi) working with others to deliver the goals.
China
In the early days of the Peoples Republic, a number of new laws and regulations on the
management of national resources were developed, including the Measures to Take Over Land
for State Construction issued in November, 1953. In the 1960s, the Government began to notice
that certain kinds of resources were dwindling or exhausted, and regulations were issued for their
protection. In 1962, the Government issued The Instructions of the State Council on Active
Protection and Rational Use of Wild-Animal Resources. This was followed by Regulations
regarding the Preservation of Forests in 1963. The Constitution of the Peoples Republic of
China was amended in December, 1982 to stipulate that the State protects the environment and
natural resources, prevents pollution, guarantees the rational utilization of natural resources, and
protects rare animals and plants. The Government issued a series of laws and regulations
regarding biodiversity (bio-resources) conservation such as the trial Forest Law of the Peoples
Republic of China later amended as The Forest Law of the Peoples Republic of China in 1985;
Regulations on the Protection and Breeding of Aquatic Resources in February 1979. China has
also issued Circular of the State Council on Strict Protection of Valued and Rare Wild Animals
in 1983; The Law on Fisheries of the Peoples Republic of China in 1985. The Check-list for
the Protection of Key Wild Animals in 1987; The Check-list for the Protection of Key Wild
Plants in 1987 and The Law on the Protection of Wild Animals of the Peoples Republic of
China issued in November, 1988 are the important legislations introduced for preservation and
protection of biodiversity. The Enforcement Regulations on the Protection of Terrestrial Wild
Animals in the People's Republic of China in February, 1992 also plays a positive role in
biodiversity conservation of China. Constitution of China also contains certain provisions
regarding protection and preservation of environment. It states that the State ensures the rational

use of natural resources and protects rare animals and plants. The appropriation or damage of
natural resources by any organization or individual by whatever means is prohibited. It further
lays down that (1) the State protects and improves the living environment and the ecological
environment, and prevents and remedies pollution and other public hazards; (2) the State
organizes and encourages afforestation and protection of forests.
United States
Current United States laws provide a number of mechanisms for conservation of natural
resources containing genetic resources located on publicly controlled lands and waters.
Moreover, access to genetic resources is in no way linked to independently established
conservation objectives, such as those laws of the Federal Lands Policy Management Act or the
National Forest Management Act. Measures to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of
genetic resources are also lacking in US laws concerning the management of private lands. Only
a few ex situ collections in the United States appear to require compliance with the benefitsharing mechanisms of the source country. Indigenous lands in the United States, as in many
countries, present particularly complex challenges for the CBD. Federally recognized Indian
tribes have authority to control access to reservation of lands and may establish regimes
governing access, compensation, and conservation. The tribal authority may voluntarily adopt
conservation requirements or the Federal Government may impose them as a condition on its
approval of a commercial collection. The United States has one of the most powerful laws for
fishery management in the world i.e. the Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act, 2006 which makes provision putting more control mechanisms to catch only
what the ecosystem produces on an annual basis. The United States has not yet ratified the CBD,
but US Federal and State laws on natural resources define the legal regime for access and
compensation for genetic resources. In US, Federal Conservation Areas include national park,
national wildlife refuge, marine sanctuaries and wilderness areas. These are primarily managed
forconservation. The Federal laws provide for measures pertaining to the importation and
exportation of various species. They also establish programs to limit or reduce the accidental
introduction of harmful exotic species.