Game Preservation (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2002

Close seasons

1.—(1) The Game Preservation Act (Northern Ireland) 1928 (c. 25) (referred to in this Act as “the 1928 Act”) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In section 7(1) (periods during which it is unlawful to take, kill or destroy game)—

(a) after paragraph (b) there shall be inserted—

“(bb) any partridge or snipe during the period commencing on 1st February in any year and ending with 31st August next following;”; and

(b) in paragraph (c) for “game-bird other than a grouse” there shall be substituted “other game-bird”.

(3) In section 7 for subsection (3) (power to vary certain periods) there shall be substituted—

“(3) The Minister of the Environment (in this Act referred to as “the Minister”) may by order—

(a) amend subsection (1) so as to vary the close season in relation to any kind of game; or

(b) amend subsection (2) so as to vary the period referred to in that subsection.”.

(4) In section 7D(4), after “purposes only” there shall be inserted “and that the taking of such hares would not endanger the hare population in Northern Ireland or any part thereof”.

(5) In section 7F(2) (temporary nature of orders of the Minister) after “under this Act” there shall be inserted “(except one made under section 7(3))”.