About the Wildlife Law
The Wildlife Law protects and conserves in Jersey and its territorial waters:
You’re committing an offence under the law if you carry out deliberate or reckless acts affecting protected species. This includes if you kill or capture protected wild animals or birds or disturb or damage nests, dens, and breeding sites.
Protected species include:
- wild fungi
- plants
- invertebrates
- fish
- amphibians
- reptiles
- birds
- mammals
Different levels of protection apply depending on the conservation of the species. There are defences and exceptions for some activities.
You need a licence to carry out activities that would otherwise be illegal under the law.
This includes:
- picking a protected plant
- disturbing, handling or taking a protected species from the wild
- interfering with the nest, den, breeding site or resting site of a protected species
- using certain methods of capturing non-protected species of wild animal or bird
Find more information and apply for
protected species licences.
Wildlife (Jersey) Law 2021
Guidance on protected species
The guidance gives you information on the provisions of the law and what they mean to different species groups.
It explains:
- what could be considered offences in terms of disturbance to different species groups
- what is considered to constitute their breeding sites and resting sites
- what actions might damage or destroy breeding sites and resting sites
You should get advice from the relevant professional if you're:
- planning works or an activity that may affect a protected species or its habitat
- not sure if protected species are present on your property
Protected amphibian and reptile species guidance
Protected bats species guidance
Protected birds species guidance
Protected marine species guidance
Lists of protected species
The protected species are listed in the schedules of the law:
| 1 | Wild animals including mammals, invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles |
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| 2 | Wild birds |
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| 3 | Wild animals and wild birds whose dens or nests are protected at all times |
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| 4 | Wild animals whose breeding sites and resting sites are protected |
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| 5 | Wild birds whose breeding sites and resting sites are protected |
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| 6 | Wild birds and wild animals which are protected from disturbance |
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| 7 | Wild birds and wild animals which may not be held in captivity for longer than 48 hours |
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| 8 | Wild plants, including wild fungi, algae and lichen |
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| 9 | Devices, substances or methods that may not be used to capture wild animals |
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| 10 | Devices, substances or methods that may not be used to capture wild birds |
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| 11 | Devices and substances of which possession is prohibited |
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| 12 | Animals and birds which may be released into the wild |
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| 13 | Prohibited invasive non-native (INN) species that may not be possessed nor sold
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Summary table of protected species and their protection under the wildlife law
Review of the schedules
The Schedules of protected species under the Wildlife Law are reviewed every 5 years to reflect the local and international conservation needs of each species. This is called the Quinquennial Review (QQR).
Each species is evaluated against a set of criteria based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines adapted to Jersey. The review results are used to make changes to the schedules. This could be adding, removing or amending the level of protection of a species.
We carry out the review in consultation with local specialist groups and conservation bodies.
First QQR
In 2024 we have completed the first QQR of the Schedules.
The results of the review have been used to make the below changes to the Wildlife Law.
Find full details of the results of the review and recommendations in the Quinquennial Review 2024 of the Wildlife Law Schedules 1 to 8.
New species added for protection
| Yellow-wort | Blackstonia perfoliata | Plant |
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| Fragile stonewort | Chara globularis | Plant |
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| Marsh helleborine | Epipactis palustris | Plant |
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Broad-leaved Sea-lavender
| Limonium auriculae-ursifolium | Plant |
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Fennel pondweed
| Stuckenia pectinata | Plant |
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No common name
| Inocybe griseotarda | Fungi |
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No common name
| Mycenastrum corium | Fungi |
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No common name
| Scleroderma meridionale | Fungi |
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| Large chequered skipper | Heteropterus morpheus | Invertebrate |
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| European eel | Anguilla anguilla | Fish
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Species with increased levels of protection
| Common shelduck | Tadorna tadorna | Bird |
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| Cattle egret | Bubulcus ibis | Bird |
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| Yellow horned-poppy | Glaucium flavum | Plant |
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| Pyramidal orchid | Anacamptis pyramidalis | Plant |
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| Wild strawberry | Fragaria vesca | Plant |
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| Common toadflax | Linaria vulgaris | Plant
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Next QQR
The second QQR should take place in 2029.
You can propose for the protection of a species to be added, removed or changed before the next review. To send a proposal complete and submit the assessment form.
QQR Assessment Form
QQR species selection criteria
Areas of Special Protection (ASP’s)
ASPs are areas of land that provide legal protection for wild animals, birds or plants from disturbance or harm during critical phases of their life cycle.
Areas of Special Protection (ASP)
gov.je