Vol. 410 No. 3
44 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm that Ireland has signed the Berne Convention on the protection of wildlife; whether the Berne Convention gives full protection to the otter; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and National Habitats (Berne Convention) was signed on 19 September 1979 and ratified by Ireland on 8 April 1982. Under this Convention the otter is accorded the highest possible category of protection. Contracting parties to the Convention have agreed to prohibit all forms of deliberate capture and killing. Article 9 of the convention permits derogation from this general prohibition for "judicious exploitation".
