Wildlife (Jersey) Law 2021 guidance

About the Wildlife Law

The Wildlife Law protects and conserves in Jersey and its territorial waters:

wild animals
birds
plants

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:

Schedule
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Schedule	Protected species listed
1	Wild animals including mammals, invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles
2	Wild birds
3	Wild animals and wild birds whose dens or nests are protected at all times
4	Wild animals whose breeding sites and resting sites are protected
5	Wild birds whose breeding sites and resting sites are protected
6	Wild birds and wild animals which are protected from disturbance
7	Wild birds and wild animals which may not be held in captivity for longer than 48 hours
8	Wild plants, including wild fungi, algae and lichen
9	Devices, substances or methods that may not be used to capture wild animals
10	Devices, substances or methods that may not be used to capture wild birds
11	Devices and substances of which possession is prohibited
12	Animals and birds which may be released into the wild
13	Prohibited invasive non-native (INN) species that may not be possessed nor sold

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

Common name
Yellow-wort
Fragile stonewort
Marsh helleborine
Broad-leaved Sea-lavender
Fennel pondweed
No common name
No common name
No common name
Large chequered skipper
European eel

Common name	Latin name	Type of species
Yellow-wort	Blackstonia perfoliata	Plant
Fragile stonewort	Chara globularis	Plant
Marsh helleborine	Epipactis palustris	Plant
Broad-leaved Sea-lavender	Limonium auriculae-ursifolium	Plant
Fennel pondweed	Stuckenia pectinata	Plant
No common name	Inocybe griseotarda	Fungi
No common name	Mycenastrum corium	Fungi
No common name	Scleroderma meridionale	Fungi
Large chequered skipper	Heteropterus morpheus	Invertebrate
European eel	Anguilla anguilla	Fish

Species with increased levels of protection

Common name
Common shelduck
Cattle egret
Yellow horned-poppy
Pyramidal orchid
Wild strawberry
Common toadflax

Common name	Latin name	Type of species
Common shelduck	Tadorna tadorna	Bird
Cattle egret	Bubulcus ibis	Bird
Yellow horned-poppy	Glaucium flavum	Plant
Pyramidal orchid	Anacamptis pyramidalis	Plant
Wild strawberry	Fragaria vesca	Plant
Common toadflax	Linaria vulgaris	Plant

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)