<h1>Institute forms committee to study 2022 Wildlife (Protection) Act amendments affecting protected sharks and rays, bycatch and livelihoods</h1> A national marine fisheries research institute will form a special committee to study legal, biological and socioeconomic issues arising from 2022 amendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 that place numerous sharks and rays under protected schedules, restricting catch, trade and export. The committee will evaluate bycatch impacts on coastal livelihoods, clarify regulatory scope between domestic fisheries and international trade controls, and prepare scientific assessments including Non-Detriment Findings to inform CITES-related decisions. Recommendations include training for enforcement and stakeholders, species identification, community monitoring, and stakeholder-driven conservation measures to reconcile biodiversity protection with fisher livelihood security.