Mauritius
Wildlife and National Parks Act
Act 13 of 1993
- Commenced on 1 March 1994
- [This is the version of this document at 30 June 2017.]
Part I – Preliminary
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Wildlife and National Parks Act.2. Interpretation
In this Act—"Advisory Council" means the Wildlife and National Parks Advisory Council established under section 3;"animal" includes any animal or animal parts or derivatives, fish, aquatic animal, shellfish, shell, coral or egg;"authorised officer" means a public officer authorised by the Permanent Secretary to carry out the functions specified in this Act;"buffer zone" means an area of land declared as such under section 12;"camaron" means the native freshwater crustacea known as Macrobrachium lar, Macrobrachium australe or Macrobrachium hirtimanus;"close season", in relation to any game, means a period during which hunting of that game is prohibited;"Director" means the Director of the National Parks and Conservation Service;"Fund" means the National Parks and Conservation Fund established under section 25;"game" means the wildlife specified in the First Schedule;"game licence" means the licence referred to in section 19;"hunt" includes kill, shoot, trap, capture, disturb or molest;"hunting equipment" means any gun, weapon, implement, apparatus, or material which can be used to hunt wildlife or take any product;"land" includes land covered by the sea or other waters, and the part of the sea or those waters covering that land, and the atmosphere above the surface of that land, and extends downwards to the centre of the earth;"member" means a member of the Wildlife and National Parks Advisory Council;"Minister" means the Minister to whom responsibility for the subject of natural resources is assigned;"national park" means any land declared as such under section 11;"nature reserve" has the same meaning as in the Forest and Reserves Act;"officer" means an officer of the National Parks and Conservation Service, a police officer, forest officer or fisheries officer;"Permanent Secretary" means the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry;"plant" includes any member of the vegetable kingdom, as well as bark, charcoal, creepers, fibres, firewood, fruit, grass, seeds, spices, seaweed, algae, seagrass, and any other thing that may be severed from or derived from a plant;"prescribed species of wildlife" means species of wildlife prescribed for the purposes of section 17(1);"product", in relation to wildlife, includes—(a)the carcass;(b)any material obtained from the carcass; and(c)any egg or nest of that form of wildlife;"protected wildlife" means wildlife, other than game and the wildlife specified in the Second Schedule;"reserved land" means any land declared to be a national park or other reserve under section 11;"Service" means the National Parks and Conservation Service referred to in section 8;"shrimp" means the native freshwater crustacea known as caridina atrya or ortmania;"structure" includes any fence, road, building, bench, table, fireplace, path marker, boundary marker, sign or any other item built or placed with approval within reserved land;"symbol" means any logo, design or pattern as may be adopted by the Service and published in the Gazette;"vehicle" includes any means of transportation in the air, on land or in, or on, water;"wildlife" includes—(a)any living creature except—(i)a human being;(ii)a dog or cat;(iii)domestic livestock;(iv)fish within the meaning of the Fisheries and Marine Resources Act; and(b)such plants as may be prescribed.Part II – The Wildlife and National Parks Advisory Council
3. Establishment of Advisory Council
There is established for the purposes of this Act a Wildlife and National Parks Advisory Council.4. Functions of Advisory Council
The Advisory Council shall advise the Minister—5. Constitution of Advisory Council
6. Meetings of Advisory Council
7. Appointment of committees
The Advisory Council may—Part III – The National Parks and Conservation Service
8. National Parks and Conservation Service
There shall be a National Parks and Conservation Service which shall consist of such scientific, technical, administrative and other staff as may be appointed to carry out duties under this Act.9. Director
10. Functions of Director
Part IV – National Parks and Special Reserves
11. Proclamation of National Parks and Special Reserves
12. Buffer zones for reserved lands
13. Management plans for reserved lands
14. Licences and leases on reserved lands
Part V – Protection of fauna and flora
15. Protected wildlife
16. Birds
No person shall, except with the written approval of an authorised officer—17. Trading in prescribed wildlife
18. Hunting
19. Hunting of game
20. ***
[S. 20 repealed by s. 49(2)(b) of Act 2 of 2006 w.e.f. 1 September 2007.]21. Restriction on issue of game licences
22. Transfer of game licences
23. Introduction of animals
24. Camarons and shrimps
Part VI – Financial provisions
25. National Parks and Conservation Fund
Part VII – Offences, penalties and powers
26. Offences and penalties
27. Powers of officers in relation to offenders
28. Powers of entry, search, seizure and arrest
29. Jurisdiction
Notwithstanding—Part VIII – Miscellaneous
30. Regulations
31. Coordination with other laws
32. ***
33. ***
34. ***
35. ***
History of this document
30 June 2017 this version
Consolidation
01 March 1994
Commenced