Policy summary
Conventions
The international conventions covering biodiversity are as follows;
- Bern
- Biodiversity
- Bonn
- CITES
- Climate Change
- OSPAR
- Ramsar
- World Heritage
A summary of these conventions can be found the JNCC website.
European Legislation
The European legislation covering biodiversity is as follows:
- EC Birds Directive
- EC Habitats Directive
- EC Water Framework Directive
A summary of these conventions can be found the JNCC website.
UK Legislation
Habitats Regulations 1994, amended 2007
For animals included in these regulations it is an offence to
- Deliberately to capture, injure or kill
- Deliberately to disturb
- Deliberately to take/destroy the eggs
- To damage or destroy breeding sites or resting places
- To keep, transport or sell
- Competent Authority Duty
- there is no satisfactory alternative to the development,
- the impacts not detrimental to the maintenance of the population of the species at a favourable conservation status in their natural range.
- the development is in the interests of public health or safety, or for other imperative reasons of overriding public interest, including those of social, economic and environmental benefit
For a more detailed summary from JNCC please see the link.
The Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats, & c.) Regulations 2007
For details of this act please see the JNCC website.
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006
The NERC Act states in Section 40 that "Every public authority must, in exercising its functions, have regard, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions, to the purpose of conserving biodiversity. Conserving biodiversity includes, in relation to a living organism or type of habitat, restoring or enhancing a population or habitat." Section 41 is the list of UK BAP priority habitats to which the NERC Act particularly applies.
For further information and guidance please see the NERC page. For the full document please see the Government website.
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 CROW Act 2000
It is the duty of any Government department in carrying out its functions, to have regard, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions, to the purpose of conserving biological diversity in accordance with the Convention.
For a more detailed summary from JNCC or the full CROW act please see the links.
The Badger Act 1992
It is an offence to willfully kill, injure, take, possess, or cruelly ill-treat a badger or attempt to do so or to intentionally or recklessly interfere with a sett (includes damage, disturb, obstruct).
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Protection of Wild Animals
Schedule 5 animals are protected from being killed, injured and disturbed and their resting places being damaged or destroyed
Protection of Birds
All birds are protected from intentional taking, killing and injuring; eggs and active nests are protected from intentional taking/destruction.
Schedule 1 species are specially protected from intentional/ reckless disturbance at or near the nest.
Protection of Plants
Plant species listed in Schedule 8 are protected from being intentionally picked, uprooted or destroyed
All plant species are protected from being intentionally uprooted.
For a summary of this act please see the JNCC website.