General Licences allow authorised people to carry out activities that would otherwise be illegal under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). They cover situations where we are satisfied that there is no other satisfactory solution in respect of the species to which they relate and the circumstances in which the licensed action may be taken.
Terms and conditions
If you operate under General Licence 15/2022 you must meet the following terms and conditions otherwise your actions may constitute an offence which could lead to prosecution.
What can this General Licence be used for?
This Licence can be used for the following activities:
Sell, advertise, possess and transport whole carcasses, meat or other products derived from greylag geese killed legally in defined areas.
Who is authorised to use this General Licence?
An authorised person is a person legally able to kill greylag geese and also those who operate according to Food Hygiene legislation.
When and where is this General Licence valid?
Valid only for greylag geese killed in the following areas:
- Orkney;
- Tiree and Coll;
- Outer Hebrides.
And sold Scotland-wide from 1st January 2022 until 31st December 2026 unless previously revoked.
What restrictions apply to the use of this General Licence?
This General Licence cannot be used by those convicted of a wildlife crime on or after 1 January 2017 unless, in respect of that offence, they are a rehabilitated person (for the purposes of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and that conviction is spent), or a court discharged them absolutely.
Any person not able to use the General Licence should contact [email protected]
What other information must authorised people know before considering use of this General Licence?
An authorised person must:
- Understand this General Licence and comply with its terms and conditions;
- Use it only for the purpose(s) specified.
What are the record keeping & reporting requirements for people using this General Licence?
Reporting requirement:
An authorised person must keep records to comply with food hygiene regulations.
Definitions
For the purposes of this General Licence:
- “Greylag” means the species Anser anser.
- “wildlife crime” means any offence under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1948, the Animal Health & Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and the Animals & Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020 (all as amended).
- ‘Food hygiene regulations’ The Food Hygiene (Scotland) regulations 2006. For guidance see http://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/downloads/The_Wild_Game_Guide_1.pdf
- “NatureScot” means Scottish Natural Heritage acting under its operating name NatureScot
Contact
If you already have a licence number, include it in the subject line of your email, or have it to hand when you call.
Disclaimer: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has changed its name to NatureScot as of the 24th August 2020.
At the time of publishing, this document may still refer to Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and include the original branding. It may also contain broken links to the old domain.
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