The legislative provisions in Great Britain for the protection
of wild animals are contained primarily in the
Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, Sections
9-12, the wild animals which are protected are listed in Schedules
5-7 of the Act and the provisions for the granting of licenses and
enforcement are set out in Sections 16-27. In England and
Wales, enforcement provisions were extended and some amendments for
protection made by the
Countryside Rights of Access Act 2000 (CRoW
act) Section 81 and Schedule 12. In Scotland,
enforcement provisions were extended and some amendments for
protection made by Section 50 and Schedule 6 of the
Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.
Specific legislation for protecting badgers is provided by the
Badgers Act, 1992 (amended, for Scotland, by the Nature
Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004), for wild deer in the Deer Act,
1963 (amended by the Deer Act, 1991), and for seals in the
Conservation of Seals Act 1970. The close season for seals in (some
areas of) Scotland was extended by the Conservation of Seals
(Scotland) Order 2002. In Northern Ireland, the legal provisions
are set out in the
Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order, 1985
(amended 1995), Articles 10-13 and 16-29, and the protected wild
animals are listed on Schedules 5-7. The protection of European
animal species in Great Britain is covered by the Conservation
(Natural Habitats, & c.) Regulations, 1994, Part II,
Regulations 38-41 and Schedules 2-3 and in Northern Ireland
provisions for European species are laid down in the Conservation
(Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations (NI) 1995, Part II,
Regulations 33-36 and Schedules 2-3. Whaling in UK waters is
prohibited by the Whaling Industry (Regulations) Act 1934, as
amended by the Fishing Limits Act, 1981.