The Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights welcomed the agreement between Birdlife and hunters on new hunting and trapping regulations announced by the Government in the past days and which came into effect today.

The new regulations introduce harsher penalties for all forms of serious hunting-related offences.

Minimum fines for serious hunting offences such as for shooting protected birds or poaching in a bird sanctuary have been doubled, both for first and subsequent convictions, whilst the maximum fines have also been increased, with €15,000 being the maximum applicable fine for repeat offenders.

The regulations provide for imprisonment for between six months to two years, suspension of hunting licence for a period of two to five years (with the possibility for permanent revocation), as well as confiscation, and the possibility of mandatory community service.

The regulations also provide for a new, more effective system for dealing with minor infringements.

The Government has included 10 further bird species within a new schedule to ensure that any crimes committed in relation to these birds will be liable to the same increased levels of penalty that would apply to crimes committed against birds already enjoying the highest level of legal protection.

The regulations provide a legal basis for the functioning of the newly-established Wild Birds Regulation Unit, and generally raise the standard of hunting governance by stipulating, for example, the minimum standards that a hunting organisation must fulfill to be recognised for the purpose of these regulations.