Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Wildlife Act 1953

General provisions

56: Restrictions on liberation or export of animals, birds, etc

You could also call this:

"Rules for releasing or taking animals and birds out of New Zealand"

You need permission from the Director-General to capture or set free certain animals or birds. The Director-General can give you permission, but they can also say no. They might give you permission with some conditions.

You are not allowed to export certain animals, birds, or their parts from New Zealand without permission from the Director-General. This includes bats, birds that are not domestic, reptiles, amphibians, and some insects, as listed in the Schedule 7. The Director-General might ask you to show a permit from the country you are exporting to before they give you permission.

If you break these rules, you can get in trouble and have to pay a penalty, as stated in section 67B or section 67A(1), or section 67C(1), or section 67F(3). The Director-General can take back the permission they gave you at any time. They can also change the conditions of the permission.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM278106.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Conservation
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55: Keeping of specimens in museums, or

"Museums can keep protected dead animals if they follow the rules and keep good records."

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56A: Application of Customs and Excise Act 2018, or

"Rules from the Customs Act apply when exporting protected wildlife or items made from them"

Part 5General provisions

56Restrictions on liberation or export of animals, birds, etc

  1. No person shall, without the prior written authority of the Director-General, granted subject to any regulations in that behalf under this Act,—

  2. capture or attempt to capture or have in his possession for the purpose of liberating or turning at large any wildlife; or
    1. liberate or turn at large, or allow to go at large any wildlife; or
      1. export from New Zealand any bat or any bird (not being a domestic bird) or any reptile or any amphibian or any terrestrial or freshwater invertebrate specified in Schedule 7 or any skin, feathers, egg, flesh, or other part of any such species.

          1. The Director-General in his discretion may refuse to grant his authority to do any act referred to in subsection (1), or may grant his authority either unconditionally or subject to such conditions as he thinks fit to impose.

          2. The Director-General may at any time revoke or vary any authority granted under subsection (1).

          3. Before granting any authority under paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) of subsection (1) to export anything referred to in either of those paragraphs, the Director-General may require the applicant to satisfy him that a permit for its importation into the country to which it is proposed to be exported has been granted by the appropriate authority in that country.

          4. Every person who contravenes subsection (1)(ab) commits an offence against this Act and is liable on conviction to the penalty set out in section 67B.

          5. Every person who contravenes subsection (1)(a) or (b) commits an offence against this Act and,—

          6. in respect of an offence committed in relation to absolutely protected wildlife, is liable on conviction to the penalty set out in section 67A(1):
            1. in respect of an offence committed in relation to partially protected wildlife, is liable on conviction to the penalty set out in section 67C(1):
              1. in any other case, is liable on conviction to the penalty set out in section 67F(3).

                Compare
                • 1921–22 No 57 s 30
                Notes
                • Section 56(1): amended, on , by section 65(1) of the Conservation Act 1987 (1987 No 65).
                • Section 56(1): amended, on , by section 9 of the Wildlife Amendment Act 1959 (1959 No 49).
                • Section 56(1): amended, on , by section 7(2) of the Wildlife Amendment Act 1956 (1956 No 5).
                • Section 56(1)(a): amended, on , by section 8 of the Wildlife (Penalties and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2000 (2000 No 43).
                • Section 56(1)(ab): inserted, on , by section 8 of the Wildlife (Penalties and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2000 (2000 No 43).
                • Section 56(1)(b): amended, on , by section 11 of the Wildlife Amendment Act 1983 (1983 No 48).
                • Section 56(1)(c): repealed, on , by section 24(a) of the Protected Objects Act 1975 (1975 No 41).
                • Section 56(1A): inserted, on , by section 7(1) of the Wildlife Amendment Act 1956 (1956 No 5).
                • Section 56(1A): amended, on , by section 65(1) of the Conservation Act 1987 (1987 No 65).
                • Section 56(2): amended, on , by section 65(1) of the Conservation Act 1987 (1987 No 65).
                • Section 56(3): amended, on , by section 65(1) of the Conservation Act 1987 (1987 No 65).
                • Section 56(4): replaced, on , by section 8 of the Wildlife (Penalties and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2000 (2000 No 43).
                • Section 56(5): inserted, on , by section 8 of the Wildlife (Penalties and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2000 (2000 No 43).