Pashmina wool

  • November 11, 2022
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Pashmina wool

Context :

News: Obsolete testing technique leading to ‘false positive’ for presence of banned Shahtoosh guard hair, say traders

Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, which employs Light Microscopy technique looks for the presence of Shahtoosh. Other modern techniques include ‘Scanning Electron Miscrospcopic’ technique and DNA tests, However only Light Microscopy technique is used by WII.

  • CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora) included the Tibetan Antelope in 1979 leading to prohibition in sale and trade of Shahtoosh shawls and scarves.

BIS for Pashmina

  • India contributes only about 1% of the world’s Pashmina, but the Pashmina produced in India is considered the best of the lot and occupies a unique position.
  • In 2019, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) published an Indian Standard for identification, marking and labelling of Pashmina products to certify their purity.
  • In 2021, the BIS released a revised report titled ‘Identification, Labelling and Marking of Pashmina Products’ that mandated directions for incorporating qualitative and quantitative identification of Shahtoosh guard hair.

Pashmina shawls

Pashmina is obtained from breeds of mountain goats ( capra hircus) found in the Changthang Plateau in Tibet and parts of Ladakh, in the Himalayan region of India.

The word pashm means “wool” in Persian, but in Kashmir, pashm referred to the raw unspun wool of domesticated Changthangi goats. In common parlance today, pashmina may refer either to the material or to the variant of the Kashmir shawl that is made from it.

Shahtoosh, on the other hand, is the fine undercoat fibre obtained from the Tibetan Antelope, known locally as ‘Chiru’, a species living mainly in the northern parts of the Changthang Plateau in Tibet. As they offer high levels of smoothness and warmth, Shahtoosh shawls became a highly expensive commodity.

About Kashmiri Shawls:

  • Shawls are produced by two techniques, loom woven or kani shawls and the needle embroidered or sozni shawls.
  • The basic fabric is of the three types – Shah Tush, Pashmina and Raffal.
  • Shah Tush (King of wool) passes through a ring and is also known as Ring shawl. It comes from a rare Tibetan antelope living at a height of over 14000 ft in the wilds of the Himalayas.
  • Pashmina is known world over as cashmere wool, it comes from a special goat (Capra hircus) living at an altitude of 12000 to 14000 ft.
  • Raffal is spun out of merino wool tops and is a popular type of shawl.

Chiru (Tibetan Antelope)

  • It lives at a 3,250-5,500-metre elevation in high altitude plains and montane valleys comprising of alpine and desert steppe and pasture, distinguished by low vegetation cover and productivity.
  • This antelope is considered to be close to goat family.
  • Predators such as wolf, lynx, snow leopard, and red fox are predators of chirus and their young calves.

Protection Status:

  • ‘Near Threatened’ in IUCN Red List.
  • It has been enlisted in Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
  • To enhance its protection, its prime habitats have been declared as Wildlife Sanctuaries Karakorma Wildlife Sanctuary and Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary.

What is CITES?

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.

  • CITES was conceptualised in 1963 at a meeting of the (IUCN) International Union For Conservation Of Nature.
  • It came into force in 1975 and consists of 183 member-countries till date that abide by CITES regulations by implementing legislation within their own borders to enforce those regulations.
  • Located in Geneva, Switzerland, the CITES is administered by the United Nations under its UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) Wing.
  • The Convention of Parties to CITES is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention and comprises all its Parties.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)

  • Considering the seriousness of organised Wildlife Crime and illegal trade of wildlife parts and products, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was created in 2007 under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
  • Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is designated nodal agency for CITES related enforcement.
  • WCCB is a statutory multi-disciplinary body under the MoEF&CC.
  • The Bureau has its five regional offices at Delhi (headquarters), Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Jabalpur; and
  • five border units at Ramanathapuram, Gorakhpur, Motihari, Nathula and Moreh.
  • Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, WCCB is mandated to collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime;
  • disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies so as to apprehend the criminals;
  • to establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank;
  • co-ordinate actions by various agencies in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of the Act;
  • assist international organizations & foreign authorities to facilitate wildlife crime control;
  • capacity building of the wildlife crime enforcement agencies;
  • assist State Governments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crimes; and
  • advise the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes.

It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item.

Pashmina wool