Antarctic Act 1994

Fauna and floraU.K.

7 Conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora.U.K.

(1)No United Kingdom national [F1, and no non-national on a British expedition,] may in Antarctica—

(a)intentionally kill, injure, capture, handle or molest any native mammal or native bird,

(b)while on foot intentionally disturb a breeding or moulting native bird, or a concentration of native mammals or native birds,

(c)use a vehicle, vessel or aircraft in a manner that disturbs a concentration of native mammals or native birds,

(d)use explosives or firearms in such a manner,

(e)remove or damage such quantities of any native plant [F2or native invertebrate] that its local distribution or abundance will be significantly affected,

(f)significantly damage a concentration of native plants, or

(g)do anything that is likely to cause significant damage to the habitat of any native mammal, bird, plant or invertebrate,

except in accordance with a permit granted under section 12 or under the written authorisation of another Contracting Party.

[F3(1A)Accidental harm occurring in the course of—

(a)normal operations of a vessel, or

(b)the activity of fishing for profit,

shall not be regarded as a contravention of subsection (1)(e), (f) or (g).]

(2)Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.

8 Permits required for introducing non-native animals and plants into Antarctica.U.K.

(1)No United Kingdom national [F4, and no non-national on a British expedition,] may introduce into any part of Antarctica any animal of a species that is not indigenous to Antarctica, or any plant that is not a native plant, except in accordance with a permit granted under section 12 or under the written authorisation of another Contracting Party.

[F5(2)The keeping of—

(a)a recognised assistance dog on board a vessel in Antarctica,

(b)another animal on board such a vessel where the vessel is travelling to an immediate destination outside Antarctica, or

(c)a plant on board a vessel in Antarctica,

shall not be regarded as a contravention of subsection (1).]

(3)Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.

[F6(4)Nothing in this section prohibits the introduction of a microscopic organism.

(5)In this section—

• “ plant ” means any terrestrial, marine or freshwater vegetation, including bryophytes, lichen, fungi and algae, and includes such vegetation at any stage of its life cycle (including seeds and other propagules of such vegetation);

• “recognised assistance dog” means a dog which has been trained to assist a disabled person by a person, or a person of a description, prescribed in regulations. ]

[F78AIntroduction of microscopic organismsU.K.

(1)No United Kingdom national, and no non-national on a British expedition, may introduce into any part of Antarctica any microscopic organism of a species which is not indigenous to Antarctica, except in accordance with a permit granted under section 12 or under written authorisation of another Contracting Party.

(2)Subsection (1) does not apply to a person if the person took reasonable precautions to prevent the introduction of the organism.

(3)Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to an organism inhabiting the human body or the body of an animal.

(4)Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.]

[F88BIntroduction of non-sterile soilU.K.

(1)No United Kingdom national, and no non-national on a British expedition, may introduce non-sterile soil into any part of Antarctica.

(2)Subsection (1) does not apply to a person if the person took reasonable precautions to prevent the introduction of the non-sterile soil.

(3)Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.]