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This consultation ended 9 December 2014.

Consultation period:
13 October 2014 to 9 December 2014
Last updated:

Summary of outcome

A summary of responses is available at DEFRA.GOV.UK 

Original consultation

The UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Welsh Ministers are seeking views on a legal issue concerning the possession of wild bird eggs.

Consultation description

In England and Wales it is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to intentionally take or destroy the egg of a wild bird. It is also an offence to possess or have in one's control the egg of a wild bird or any part of such an egg.

This consultation concerns the possession of wild bird eggs offence. It seeks to set out the current legislative issue in respect of the offence of possessing wild bird eggs taken from the wild since 1954 in England and Wales. It identifies options to address the issue and also provides an opportunity for interested parties to respond to the presented options to inform which solution will be taken forward. 

This is a public consultation and it is open to anyone with an interest to provide comments. The consultation should be of particular interest to those involved in the conservation of wild birds enforcement authorities and those in possession of egg collections.

This consultation is being held on DEFRA.GOV.UK