Citation, commencement, extent and application

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Humane Trapping Standards (England and Wales) Regulations 2019 and come into force on 1st April 2020.

(2) These Regulations extend and apply to England and Wales.

Amendment of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

2.  After section 16(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981(3) insert-

"(3ZZA) Subsection (3)(c), so far as relating to section 11(2)(1) in its application to mustela erminea (stoat, otherwise known as ermine), is to be read as if the reference to wild animals included wild birds.".

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (c. 69) ("the Act") in order further to implement in England and Wales requirements contained in the Agreement on international humane trapping standards between the European Community, Canada and the Russian Federation, which was approved by the European Community in Council Decision 98/142/EC (OJ No. L 42, 14.2.98, p.40).

The Regulations introduce provision to provide that the licensing ground under section 16(3)(c) (relating to the conservation of wild animals) is to be read, insofar as it relates to section 11(2) in its application to stoat, as including the conservation of wild birds. This means that the trapping of stoat will be licensable for the purpose of conserving wild birds when the inclusion of stoat in Schedule 6ZA to the Act comes into force on 1st April 2020 by virtue of the Humane Trapping Standards Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/22).

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.