The Act – Commentary on Sections Part 2 – Wildlife under the 1981 Act Section 22 – Wildlife inspectors etc.
156.Section 21 of the Act amends the 1981 Act so that a wildlife inspector appointed by the Scottish Ministers under section 19ZC of the 1981 Act is authorised to take enforcement action in respect of the keeping, notification and species control order offences created by the Act.
157.Subsections (2) and (3) repeal the provisions in sections 6 (sale etc. of live or dead wild birds, eggs etc.) and 7 (registration etc. of certain captive birds) of the 1981 Act that enable the Scottish Ministers to authorise persons to enter any land to ascertain whether an offence under those sections is being, or has been, committed. A wildlife inspector appointed by Ministers under section 19ZC of the 1981 Act has the same power, so the repeal removes unnecessary duplication.
158.Subsection (4) enables a wildlife inspector to enter and inspect any premises to ascertain whether or not an offence in respect of the sale etc. of wild hares or rabbits (inserted section 11G of the 1981 Act), the keeping or notification of an invasive plant or animal (inserted sections 14ZC and 14B), or a species control order (inserted section 14K), (the “new offences” in paragraph (a)) is being or has been committed. It enables a wildlife inspector to require in connection with the new offences that a specimen is made available for examination by the inspector. It enables a wildlife inspector to enter premises to check for compliance with a condition of a registration or licence granted under Part 1 of the 1981 Act as amended by the Act, as well as before to in connection with verifying statements made in connection with an application for or the holding of a licence or registration.
159.Subsection (5) enables a wildlife inspector to require the taking of a sample of blood or tissue from a specimen found when taking entry under section 19ZC in respect of the new offences, or any connected specimen, in order to determine the origin, identity or ancestry of the first specimen. It also provides a new definition of “tissue” in section 19ZD (power to take samples: Scotland) of the 1981 Act.
160.Subsection (6) repeals the function of a GB conservation body under the 1981 Act to advice or assist a person not being a wildlife inspector authorised to enter premises in connection with an offence under sections 6, 7 and 14 of that Act.