Wildlife licensing

Protected species - application forms for individual licences - Wildlife Act 1990

For work with species protected under the Wildlife Act 1990 (section 16), a licence application form is available to download from the downloadable documents section on this page. Please include a note with as much detail regarding the issue as you can provide noting the time period of the issue to be licensed.

General licences for bird control

Licences can be downloaded from the birds page, see related links. These are replaced every 2 years. No application is required, but you must ensure that you are covered by its provisions and conditions. If not, a personal licence may be required.

ASSI: notice of operations listed as potentially damaging

A notice form can be downloaded. This is for landowners of ASSIs to notify the department of operations that they wish to undertake, which are listed as likely to damage the designated interest on a site. A leaflet for landowners is also available to download from the protected sites page, see related links.

Import/export

For details of the CITES licensing under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1981, the importation of dangerous animals or dangerous dogs under the Wild Animals (Restriction on Importation etc) Act 1980, or the importation of destructive animals under the Destructive Imported Animals Act 1963, please see the import and export of exotic animals page, under related links. For these purposes, import/export includes the movement of specimens between the Isle of Man and the United Kindgom.

Licences for shooting and dealing in game

Game can only be shot during permitted dates which can vary from time to time. A list of these dates is available to download on this page. Anyone wishing to shoot game, or deal in the buying and selling of game must have a licence to do so. An application form can be downloaded on this page and completed forms should be sent to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture together with the appropriate fee.

The 'game' includes pheasant, partridge, grouse and brown or common hare which are covered by the Game Acts. Close seasons are also provided under the Wildlife Act 1990 for woodcock, snipe, mallard, teal and widgeon).

More information on shooting laws on the Isle of Man is available via the related links on this page.