Biodiversity Act, 2003.

This Act implements principles and relevant provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The purposes of this Act are: to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of biochemical and genetic resources as well as the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization; to promote technology transfer and capacity building at the national and local levels; to protect and encourage cultural diversity giving value to the knowledge, innovation and practices of local communities; to recognize and protect the farmer’s and breeder’s rights; to make plant varieties subject to property rights; to prevent illegal access to genetic and biochemical resources; etc.
This Act shall apply to all the genetic and biochemical resources including wild, domesticated and cultivated species of flora and fauna within the territory of Bhutan. The Competent Authority of Bhutan shall grant permits for the access to genetic and/or biochemical resources. Plant Variety Protection shall be granted for plant varieties that are novel, distinct, identifiable, uniform and stable. The Act also provides for offences and penalties.