The Spring Traps Approval (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2021 No. 321

Wildlife

The Spring Traps Approval (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021

Made

2nd December 2021

Coming into operation

4th January 2022

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs(1) in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 12A(3) of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 (2) and having in accordance with Article 29(3) of that Order consulted the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside(3), and any district council or other person affected, and taken into consideration any objections or representations duly received, makes the following Order.

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as The Spring Traps Approval (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021, and shall come into operation on 4 January 2022.

Amendment of the Spring Traps Approval Order (Northern Ireland) 2019

2.  Schedule 1 to the Spring Traps Approval Order (Northern Ireland) 2019(4) is amended as follows—

(a) in the entry for the DOC 250, in column 2 (conditions), after “purpose of killing”, in the first place where it occurs, insert “ferrets,”;

(b) after the entry for the Nooski mouse trap, insert the following entry—

“Perdix Spring Trap manufactured by or under the authority of PERDIX Wildlife Solutions Ltd, Unit 1 Hatton Rock Business Park, Hatton Rock, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 0BX

The trap may be used only for the purpose of killing or taking of grey squirrels, rats and stoats. The trap must be set in a natural or artificial tunnel which is, in either case, suitable for purpose.”.

(c) in the entry for the Tully Trap, in column 2 (conditions) for “and rats” substitute—

“, rats and grey squirrels.

Where used for grey squirrels, the trap must be fitted with baffles for grey squirrels supplied by the manufacturer or constructed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Baffles fitted onto a trap must be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on 2 December 2021.

Dave Foster

A senior officer of the

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Spring Traps Approval Order (Northern Ireland) 2019 (S.R. 2019 No. 69).

Under Article 12A(1) of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 it is an offence to use or permit the use of, for the purpose of killing or taking animals, any spring trap other than an approved trap or uses or permits the use of an approved trap for animals for which it is not approved or sells or exposes or offers for sale any spring trap other than an approved trap with a view to its being used for an unlawful purpose, or has in his possession any spring trap for an unlawful purpose.

This Order adds a type of spring trap to those approved for use in Northern Ireland, namely, the Perdix Spring Trap.

It also adds to the target species for which two of the traps previously approved may be used:

• The Doc 250 may now also be used for ferrets

• The Tully Trap may now also be used for grey squirrels where it is fitted with baffles for grey squirrels, in accordance with the conditions specified.

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

(1)

The Department of the Environment was dissolved by section 1(9) of the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 and, by virtue of Article 8(1)(c) of the Departments (Transfer of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016, its functions for the purposes of this Order were transferred to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

(2)

1985 No.171 (N.I.2), as amended by the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act (N.I.) 2011 (c. 15)

(3)

The Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside (CNCC) was established in 1989 under the provisions of the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1989. It replaced the existing Committee for Nature Conservation established under Article 5 of the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order 1985

(4)

S.R. 2019 No. 69