Hyderabad: Bio-resource trading has caught the attention of the Biodiversity Boards of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Boards are are now planning to take strict measures against those involved in the trade without following the National Biodiversity Act (NBA).

Till now, 1,500 companies have been issued notices by the Boards. A major factor preventing the implementation of the NBA is the absence of information about which bio-resources are actually being traded in the market.

The AP Biodiversity Board has undertaken a survey in the state to find out tradable bio-resources. A report will be submitted by June-end.

The Telangana Biodiversity Board has called for expression of interest from agencies to take up the work. According to sources, 200 species of medicinal plants, agricultural crops and insects, which are traded, have been identified by the five agencies in AP. Most of these species are common to Telangana too.

“Mapping bio-resources ensures that companies which use these resources for commercial purposes give back something to the places from where they collect the resources. It will also help keep tabs on exploitation,” said Dr C. Suvarna, member-secretary of the TS Biodiversity Board.

The efforts of the Biodiversity Boards of TS and AP have already shown a positive result: Two access benefit-sharing agreements each have been signed in TS and AP for the bacteria Trichoerma harzianum (Th4d) and Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.