What this covers
Why you need it
The power to require it comes from Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, Northern Ireland primary legislation made by Order in Council.
What the Order carries
What our graph holds for Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 as a whole — the Order behind this licence, not the licence conditions themselves.
- Duties on businesses
- 18
- Penalties
- 17
- Exemptions
- 4
Duties on businesses under the Order
- Harm wild birds, their nests or eggs, or possess them illegally art.4
- Use prohibited traps, weapons, or decoys to kill/take wild birds art.6
- Sell or advertise wild birds or eggs illegally art.7
- Notify the Department before showing Schedule 4 birds at public events art.8
- Keep birds in undersized cages or organise captive bird shoots art.9
- Harm protected wild animals or their shelters art.10
… and 12 more business duties in the same Order.
What happens if you get it wrong
- Commit an offence under wildlife protection laws Unlimited fine
- Damage, sell or advertise wild plants
- Harm protected wild animals or their shelters
- Harm wild birds, their nests or eggs, or possess them illegally
- Illegally kill, injure, take or handle deer
… and 12 more penalties in the same Order.
Exemptions that may take you outside it
- Authorised persons may kill/injure protected wild animals to prevent damage — You are an authorised person; you kill or injure a wild animal listed in Schedule 5 to prevent serious damage …
- Deer farmers exempt from certain deer offences — You keep and breed deer for a trade or business, the Department of Agriculture certifies that you are carrying on …
- Licensed deer management exempt from deer protection offences — Valid Department-issued licence for one of the permitted purposes, and action carried out in accordance with its terms
- Wild birds: defence for unavoidable incidental harm from lawful operations — The act was the incidental result of a lawful operation and could not reasonably have been avoided.
Read our full dossier on Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985
Who issues it
Your local council issues this. Councils apply the same statute but set their own fees, conditions and timescales.
Where to apply
Duty, penalty and exemption labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the enabling instrument, not the instrument itself. Fees, forms and conditions are set by the issuing authority — always check the linked source.