Background and Policy Objectives
3.The Act introduces new provisions and amends the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 No. 171 (N.I.2) (‘the Wildlife Order’) in order to reflect the increasing significance of protecting Northern Ireland’s biodiversity and the need to continue to deter wildlife crime.
4.The deregulation of systems that required anyone who hunted or traded game species to be licensed is also provided for in the Act. This means the repeal of provisions contained in the Miscellaneous Transferred Excise Duties Act (NI) 1972 (c.11) and the Game Act 1831 (c.32), and amendments to the Game Preservation Act (NI) 1928 (c.25).
5.The Act also amends the Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 No. 171 (N.I.2) (‘the Environment Order’) in order to strengthen the regulatory regime for protecting Areas of Special Scientific Interest in Northern Ireland.