# The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Keeping and Release and Notification Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2012 S.S.I. 2012/174 · made 30 May 2012 · revised to 1 April 2019 This Order makes provision about the release of certain animals, the keeping of invasive animals and notification requirements in relation to the presence of invasive animals under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (“the 1981 Act”) as amended by the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011. Made under: Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Section 14, Section 14ZC, Section 14B); Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 (Section 42) PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/wildlife-and-countryside-act-1981-keeping-and-release-and-notification-requirements-scotland-order-2012/pdf/ssi_20120174_en.pdf; Executive Note https://openlegislation.uk/wildlife-and-countryside-act-1981-keeping-and-release-and-notification-requirements-scotland-order-2012/pdf/ssien_20120174_en.pdf ## Introductory text Wildlife Made 30th May 2012 Laid before the Scottish Parliament 31st May 2012 Coming into force 2nd July 2012 The Scottish Ministers make the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 14(1)(a)(ii), (2D)(a) and (e), 14ZC(1)(a) and (2)(a), and 14B(1)(a), (2)(a), (b), (d) and (f) and (4)(a) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and section 42(1) of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011, and all other powers enabling them to do so. In accordance with section 26(4A) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, they have consulted Scottish Natural Heritage and any other person appearing to them to have an interest in the making of the Order. ## 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation (1) This Order may be cited as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Keeping and Release and Notification Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2012, and comes into force on 2nd July 2012. (2) In this Order, “the 1981 Act” means the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. ## 2 Prohibition on releasing certain animals The types of animals listed in column (1) (whose Scientific name is listed in column (2)) of the table in Part 1 of Schedule 1 are specified for the purposes of section 14(1)(a)(ii) of the 1981 Act, to the extent mentioned in column (3) of that table. ## 3 Prohibition on keeping invasive animals The types of invasive animals listed column (1) (whose Scientific name is listed in column (2)) of the table in Part 2 of Schedule 1 are specified for the purposes of section 14ZC(1)(a) of the 1981 Act. ## 3A Prohibition on keeping invasive plants The types of invasive plants listed in column (1) (whose Scientific name is listed in column (2)) of the table in Part 2A of Schedule 1 are specified for the purposes of section 14ZC(1)(b) of the 1981 Act. ## 4 Notification requirements in relation to the presence of invasive animals Where an occupier of land is, or becomes, aware of the presence of an invasive animal of a type listed in Part 3 of Schedule 1, that person must notify Scottish Natural Heritage without delay. ## 5 Revocation Subject to article 3 (savings) of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 (Commencement No. 4, Saving and Transitional Provisions) Order 2012, the enactments listed in Schedule 2 are revoked. ## Signature STEWART STEVENSON Authorised to sign by the Scottish Ministers St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh 30th May 2012 ## 1 Types of animals specified for the purposes of section 14(1)(a)(ii) of the 1981 Act (types of animal which it is an offence for a person to release or allow to escape fromcaptivity) Common name Column (1) Scientific name Column (2) Extent Column (3) Deer All species of the genus Cervus Outer Hebrides and the islands of Arran (including Holy Island), Islay, Jura and Rum ## 2 Types of invasive animals specified for the purposes of section 14ZC(1)(a) of the 1981 Act (types of animal which it is an offence for a person to keep, have in their possession or have under their control) Common name Column (1) Scientific name Column (2) American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus Asian hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax Asp Aspius aspius Barbel species of the genus Barbus (excluding Barbus barbus) Bass (excluding sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax) Micropterus salmoides; Micropterus dolomieu; Ambloplites rupestris; and species of the genus Morone Bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis Bitterling Rhodeus sericeus/Rhodeus amarus Blacknose dace Rhinichthys atratulus Blageon Telestes souffia Blue bream Ballerus ballerus Blue sucker Cycleptus elongatus Burbot Lota lota Catfish species of the genera Ictalurus, Ameiurus and Silurus Charr species of the genus Salvelinus (excluding Salvelinus alpinus) Chinese black or snail-eating carp Mylopharyngodon piceus Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis Chinese sucker (also known as Zebra hi fin, banded shark/sucker) Myxocyprinus asiaticus Common white sucker Catostomus commersonii Coypu Myocastor coypus Crayfish freshwater decapod crustacean of the Families Astacidae, Cambaridae or Parastacidae, (excluding Austropotamobius pallipes) Danubian bleak Alburnus chalcoides Danubian salmon & Taimen species of the genus Hucho Eastern mudminnow Umbra pygmaea Egyptian goose Alopochen aegyptiacus European mudminnow Umbra krameri Fathead minnow (or Roseyreds) Pimephales promelas Fox squirrel Sciurus niger Freshwater minnow, Dragon fish or Pale chub Zacco platypus Grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella Grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Indian house crow Corvus splendens Landlocked salmon non anadromous varieties of the species Salmo salar Marbled trout Salmo marmoratus Mink Mustela vison Muntjac Species of genus Muntiacus Muskrat Ondatra zibethica Nase Chondrostoma nasus Northern redbelly dace Chrosomus eos Pacific salmon and trout species of the genus Oncorhynchus (excluding Oncorhynchus mykiss Paddlefish species of the genera Polyodon and Psephurus Pallas’ squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus Perch species of the genus Perca (excluding Perca fluviatilis) Pike species of the genus Esox (excluding Esox lucius) Pikeperch Sanderlucioperca Rabbit (excluding European rabbit) species of the genera Bunolagus, Brachylagus, Nesolagus, Pentalagus, Poelagus, Romerolagus and Sylvilagus Raccoon Procyon lotor Raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides Red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis Ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensis Ruffe Gymnocephalus cernua Sacred ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus Schneider Alburnoides bipunctatus Siberian chipmunk Tamias sibiricus Silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Snakehead species of the genus Channa Southern redbelly dace Chrosomus erythrogaster Sturgeon or sterlet species of the genera Acipenser, Huso, Pseudoscaphirhynchus and Scaphirhynchus Sunbleak (Sundace), also known as Belica or Motherless minnow Leucaspius delineatus Sunfish, including pumpkinseed (also Basses, Crappies & Bluegills) species of the genus Lepomis Topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva Toxostome (or French nase) Parachondrostoma toxostoma Vimba Vimba vimba Weatherfish Misgurnus fossilis Whitefish species of the genus Coregonus (excluding Coregonus lavaretus and Coregonus albula) ## 2A Types of invasive plants specified for the purposes of section 14ZC(1)(b) of the 1981 Act (types of plant which it is an offence for a person to keep, have in their possession or have under their control) Common name Scientific name Column (1) Column (2) American skunk-cabbage Lysichiton americanus Curly waterweed Lagarosiphon major Floating pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides Floating primrose-willow Ludwigia peploides Giant hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum Giant-rhubarb Gunnera tinctoria Indian balsam Impatiens glandulifera Japanese stiltgrass Microstegium vimineum Nuttall’s waterweed Elodea nuttallii Parrot’s feather Myriophyllum aquaticum Persian hogweed Heracleum persicum Sosnowsky’s hogweed Heracleum sosnowskyi Various-leaved water-milfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum Water primrose Ludwigia grandiflora ## 3 Types of invasive animals which require notification under article 4 of this Order Common name Column (1) Scientific name Column (2) Coypu Myocastor coypus Muntjac Species of genus Muntiacus Muskrat Ondatra zibethica Rabbit (excluding European rabbit) Species of the genara Bunolagus, Brachylagus, Nesolagus, Pentalagus, Poelagus, Romerolagus and Sylvilagus NOTE: The common name or names given in Column (1) of the tables in Parts 1, 2 and 3 of this Schedule are included by way of guidance only; in the event of any dispute or proceedings, the common name or names shall not be taken into account. ## Schedule 2 REVOCATIONS Regulations revoked Reference The Musk Rats (Prohibition of Importation and Keeping) Order 1933 S.I. 1933/106 The Grey Squirrels (Prohibition of Importation and Keeping) Order 1937 S.I. 1937/478 The Non-Indigenous Rabbits (Prohibition of Importation and Keeping) Order 1954 S.I. 1954/927 The Mink (Keeping) Regulations 1975 S.I. 1975/2223 The Mink (Keeping) (Amendment) Regulations 1977 S.I. 1977/2122 The Mink (Keeping) (Amendment) Regulations 1979 S.I. 1979/1669 The Mink (Keeping) (Amendment) Regulations 1982 S.I. 1982/1883 The Coypus (Prohibition on Keeping) Order 1987 S.I. 1987/2195 The Mink (Keeping) (Amendment) Regulations 1987 S.I. 1987/2225 The Coypus (Special Licence) (Fees) Regulations 1997 S.I. 1997/2751 The Mink (Keeping) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 S.I. 1997/2750 The Mink Keeping (Scotland) Order 2000 S.S.I. 2000/400 The Mink Keeping (Scotland) Order 2003 S.S.I. 2003/528 The Prohibition of Keeping or Release of Live Fish (Specified Species) (Scotland) Order 2003 S.S.I. 2003/560 The Muntjac Keeping (Scotland) Regulations 2011 S.S.I. 2011/63 The Muntjac Keeping (Scotland) Order 2011 S.S.I. 2011/172 ## Explanatory note (This note is not part of the Order) This Order makes provision about the release of certain animals, the keeping of invasive animals and notification requirements in relation to the presence of invasive animals under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (“the 1981 Act”) as amended by the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011. Section 14(1)(a)(ii) of the 1981 Act makes it an offence for any person to release, or allow to escape from captivity, any animal of a type specified by the Scottish Ministers by Order. Article 2 and Part 1 of Schedule 1 specifies the types of animals which it is an offence for a person to release or allow to escape from captivity and the extent to which the prohibition applies. Section 14ZC(1)(a) of the 1981 Act makes it an offence for any person to keep, have in the person’s possession, or have under the person’s control any invasive animal of a type which the Scottish Ministers specify by Order. Article 3 and Part 2 of Schedule 1 specifies the types of invasive animals which it is an offence for a person to keep, have in their possession or have under their control. Section 14B(1)(a) enables the Scottish Ministers to make provision about the notification of the presence of invasive animals at any specified place outwith their native range where persons are, or become, aware of the presence of such animals or plants. Article 4 and Part 3 of Schedule 1 make provision about notification and that such notification requires be made to Scottish Natural Heritage without delay. Article 5 and Schedule 2 revoke the enactments governing the keeping and release of certain animals which this Order replaces, subject to article 3 of the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act 2011 (Commencement No. 4, Saving and Transitional Provisions) Order 2012 (S.S.I. 2012/175 (C. 16)). --- Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2012/174 (the official version) Page: https://openlegislation.uk/wildlife-and-countryside-act-1981-keeping-and-release-and-notification-requirements-scotland-order-2012 Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.