Guidance

Conservation translocations: when you need a wildlife licence

Updated 9 July 2024

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

This guide helps you decide if you need to apply for a wildlife licence under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Read the conservation translocations code and guidance in England before you apply for a conservation translocation licence. It explains how to:

• decide whether a conservation translocation is appropriate
• increase the chance of success and wider potential benefits
• reduce the chance of failure and negative outcomes

It also provides information on other licences, permits and permissions you may need to get before your conservation translocation can go ahead.

1. When you need a licence

You need a conservation translocation licence if you plan to release in England:

• a species listed in schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act
• a species, subspecies or distinct kind of animal that is not ordinarily resident or a regular visitor in the wild in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) – this includes species that were previously native to Great Britain but are no longer present

Releases into enclosures may count as a release into the wild in certain circumstances.

The terms ‘of a kind’, ‘ordinarily resident’, ‘regular visitor’ and in ‘the wild’ have specific meanings. Read our interpretation of these terms in chapter 5 of the code.

If your conservation translocation involves other parts of Great Britain, make sure you get advice and follow their wildlife licensing requirements too. The laws on releasing wildlife differ between the countries.

1.1 Releasing Eurasian beavers into the wild

Defra consulted on approaches to beaver reintroduction and management in England. You will not be able to get a licence for releasing beavers into the wild until a national approach is finalised.

You can still apply for a licence to release beavers into secure enclosures.

2. Other activities you might need a licence for

You might need other wildlife licences for activities within your conservation translocation project. For example, you may need a licence to:

• capture, remove or tag a species
• use certain methods to capture or survey species
• possess, transport or control species

Wildlife licences allow you to carry out activities that would otherwise be unlawful under nature conservation legislation. Legal requirements vary between species and countries.

2.1 Licence to capture, remove or tag protected species

You need a licence to take a protected species from the wild as a donor population or to capture, remove or to mark or tag. For example, to monitor, sample or manage the species after release.

Protected species includes those listed in:

• schedule 2 and schedule 5 of the Conservation Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
• schedule 1 of the Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
• schedule 5 and schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
• Protection of Badgers Act 1992
• Deer Act 1991
• Conservation of Seals Act 1970
• Game Act 1831
• any wild bird

2.2 Licence to capture or manage species

You need a licence to capture or manage some species, if you use certain methods that are normally prohibited (for example, cage traps). Details of the unlawful methods are given in the relevant legislation.

These are for species listed in:

• schedule 4 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
• schedule 3 of the Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
• schedule 6 and schedule 6ZA of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
• Protection of Badgers Act 1992
• Deer Act 1991
• Conservation of Seals Act 1970 and Conservation of Seals (England) Order 1999
• Game Act 1831

It also includes all wild birds as defined in section 27 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

2.3 Licence to possess, transport and control species

You need a licence to possess, transport or control species listed in:

• Annex II(b) and Annex IV of the Habitats Directive – controls apply only to wild sourced animals and plants
• the schedule of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976

3. How to apply

If you need a licence from Natural England for a conservation translocation project, you need to apply using the conservation translocation application form. Your application can cover all the wildlife licences for your project.

The level of detail you include in your application should be proportionate to the potential impacts of the translocation.

For low risk applications, you need to briefly demonstrate that there are no significant risks or legislative constraints.

Where you identify risks or legislative constraints, you need to include enough detail for Natural England to evaluate and understand the impacts of the proposal.

You can add and expand text boxes in the form if you need to.

You need to submit a conservation translocation project scoping form with your licence application. You can also include additional supporting information – for example, if you have conducted a feasibility study.

Natural England may ask you for more information if your application does not include everything it needs to make a licensing decision.

4. Submit your licence application

Send your completed form to Natural England. Details of how you should do this are included on the form.

Natural England will respond to your licence application within 30 working days. It will give you a licensing decision or let you know when you can expect a decision.

Natural England will need to thoroughly consider, and consult with relevant statutory bodies, on proposals that could have significant consequences for the environment or people. These applications can take 6 months for a final decision.

5. Report your progress

You must report your progress to Natural England. Your licence will include details of what and when you need to report.

6. Species not suitable for conservation translocations

Species that are not suitable for a conservation translocation or introduction in England include:

• those listed in schedule 2 of the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019
• muskrat and species covered by any order under the Destructive imported Animals Act 1932
• species that are not, and never have been, native to Great Britain, unless there is a clear conservation benefit from the introduction

7. Marine and freshwater conservation translocations

You also need to contact the relevant authority if you are planning a reintroduction or conservation translocation of:

• any species in the marine environment – contact the Marine Management Organisation
• fish, molluscs and crustaceans (like crayfish) in freshwater environments – contact the Environment Agency
• any species that needs aquaculture (including captive rearing and breeding) or to be imported – contact the Fish Health Inspectorate

Read more about freshwater and marine conservation translocations on page 27 of the code.

8. Get help

If you are not sure if you need a wildlife licence, contact Natural England for advice.

You need to contact the relevant authority for marine and freshwater conservation translocations.