The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2024

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Bill for the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 (“the Act”) received Royal Assent on 30 April 2024. Sections 35 and 36 of the Act came into force the following day. These Regulations partially commence section 10 of the Act on 1 July 2024 and then commence sections 9 and 10 in so far as not already in force on 22 July 2024. These Regulations also commence sections 18 and 21 of the Act on 1 July 2024.

Section 10 of the Act inserts new sections 16AA to 16AF into the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (“the 1981 Act”) to establish a licensing scheme for the use of land for the purposes of permitting the killing or taking of birds listed in Part 1B of schedule 2 of the 1981 Act. These Regulations bring into force sections 16AC and 16AD on 1 July 2024 to allow for the code of practice required for the operation of the section 16AA licensing scheme to be prepared, reviewed, revised and published and for the responsibility to do so to be able to be delegated to Scottish Natural Heritage. These Regulations then bring into force section 9 and section 10 in so far as not already in force on 22 July 2024. The effect of this is that from this date it will be an offence to kill or take a bird listed in Part 1B of schedule 2 of the 1981 Act outside of the close season for that bird if the person is not acting in accordance with a licence issued under section 16AA.

Part 2 of the Act establishes a licensing scheme for carrying out muirburn. These Regulations bring into force section 18 and 21 on 1 July 2024 to allow for the Muirburn Code, which is required for the operation of the muirburn licensing scheme, to be prepared, reviewed, revised and published and for the responsibility to do so to be able to be delegated to Scottish Natural Heritage. The remainder of Part 2 of the Act will be brought into force by future regulations.