Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2021

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

The proposal would add the basking shark to Ireland’s list of protected wild animals, closing a gap in current law for a species already considered endangered. It would also make it illegal to intentionally or recklessly injure, disturb or harass any protected wild animal, and would allow the Minister to set a code of conduct for wildlife tourism and recreational activities. That matters because basking sharks in Irish waters face risks from boat strikes, harassment and disturbance, even though they are harmless to people and slow to recover as a population.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to amend the Wildlife Act, 1976 to include the Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus) in the Fifth Schedule to that Act; to amend section 23 of that Act to make illegal the intentional or reckless injuring, disturbance or harassment of any protected wild animal other than for the purposes of hunting; and to provide for the drafting of a code of conduct by Ministerial regulation for the purposes of wildlife tourism or recreational activities.

Last updated 2 May 2025