Dan Neville
Ceist:907 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of licences issued for the importation of restraining and killing wildlife traps. [2755/02]
Written Answers. - Wildlife Traps.
Dan Neville
Ceist:908 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of spring traps approved by name and number under the Wildlife Acts, 1976 to 2000. [2758/02]
Dan Neville
Ceist:909 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of Fenn traps which have been approved for usage under the Wildlife Acts, 1976-2000. [2760/02]
Dan Neville
Ceist:910 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands when Fenn traps were approved for usage under the Wildlife Acts, 1976-2000; the scientific guidelines which were used for approval; and the qualifications of those advising approval. [2762/02]
Dan Neville
Ceist:911 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the definition of a spring trap and gin trap under the Wildlife Act, 1976. [2763/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 907 to 911, inclusive, together.
Gin traps or spring traps are not legally defined under the Wildlife Act 1976 or the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000. However, the use, possession and importation of traps is regulated under the Wildlife Acts – section 34 of the 1976 Act as amended by the Wildlife Act 1976 (Approved Traps, Snares and Nets) Regulations, 1977, S.I. No. 307 of 1977. These regulations – which exclude gin traps – set out the type of traps, snares and nets which are approved for the taking and killing of any wild bird or mammal. The regulations also provide that it is an offence to import without licence or sell any trap, snare or net which is not a trap, snare or net described in the regulations. The regulations set out the parameters by which traps can be considered as approved traps under section 34 of the Wildlife Act, 1976, as amended, but do not provide for a specific approval or listing process for individual traps. Accordingly the number and name of individual traps which are approved by the regulations is not available.
A licence is not required to import restraining and killing traps – including spring traps – which comply with the regulations. A search of Dúchas records does not indicate that any licences have issued to import restraining or killing traps which do not comply with the Wildlife Act 1976 (Approved Traps, Snares and Nets) Regulations, 1977, S.I. No. 307 of 1977.
In relation to Fenn traps, these are considered to be approved traps under the regulations and accordingly are not subject to licence. While there are no records available in relation to consideration of the Fenn trap under specific scientific criteria, records do indicate that wildlife service technical staff of the time recommended them for use and importation as far back as 1978.