AMBERGRIS – ENVIRONMENT
News: Ambergris
worth Rs 4 crore found in dead whale
What's in the news?
● Days
after the carcass of a sperm whale washed up on a shore of the Canary Island of
La Palma, a pathologist, who carried out the animal’s postmortem, found
ambergris, also known as ‘floating gold’, stuck in its colon.
Ambergris:
● Ambergris,
which means grey amber in French, is a waxy
substance that originates from the digestive system of protected sperm whales.
● The
freshly passed ambergris is a light yellowish substance and is fatty but as it
ages it turns waxy and gets red-brownish.
Demand:
● Ambergris
is a rare substance, which
contributes to its high demand and high
price in the international market.
Usage:
● Traditionally,
it is used to produce perfumes that
have notes of musk.
● While
there are records of it being used to flavour
food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco in some cultures in the past, it is
rarely used for these purposes presently.
Legalities in Other Countries:
● There
is a ban on the possession and trade of
ambergris in countries like the USA, Australia and India, in several other
countries it is a tradable commodity, though with limitations in some of them.
Legalities in India:
● In
the Indian context, sperm whales are a
protected species under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act and
possession or trade of any of its by-products, including Ambergris and its
byproducts, is illegal under provisions
of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
● It
has been observed that the gangs smuggling the ambergris procure it from
coastal areas and ship it to destination countries via some other countries
with whom India has comparatively less stringent sea trade.