Wildlife Act 1975

The Game Management Authority may license a person to hunt, take or destroy game.

A person seeking a game licence must apply to the Game Management Authority in the prescribed manner for the game licence and must lodge the prescribed fee with the application.

The Game Management Authority may, subject to any conditions, limitations and restrictions that are prescribed or as the Authority thinks fit to impose, license any person to hunt, take or destroy any game.

A game licence may be general in application or may be restricted as to the kinds or taxon of game which may be hunted, taken or destroyed or the area in which game may be hunted, taken or destroyed or the type of weapon which may be used to hunt, take or destroy game.

Despite anything to the contrary in any other Act, if the Game Management Authority thinks fit, a game licence is subject to the condition that the holder of the licence must take part in a ballot, in accordance with the regulations, in order to determine the entitlements of the holder to take game specified under that licence.

If the regulations vary the conditions, limitations or restrictions on game licences or a category of game licences, the variation has effect, in relation to a game licence in force at the time the regulation is made, upon the Game Management Authority giving notice of the variation to the holder of the licence.

Subject to subsection (6), the Game Management Authority must grant any application for a game licence unless the Authority is satisfied that—

the applicant is not a fit and proper person to hold the licence; or

the applicant is not qualified under the regulations to hold the licence; or

the issue of the licence would be deleterious to the conservation of any taxon or any kind of game; or

the applicant is already the holder of a licence under this section; or

the applicant has failed any prescribed test about the identification of that taxon of wildlife in respect of which the licence is to be issued.

The Game Management Authority may refuse to grant any application for a game licence if the applicant has been found guilty of any offence against this Act.

A game licence unless sooner cancelled or surrendered under this Act continues in force for any period up to 5 years that is specified in the licence.

The Game Management Authority must renew a licence upon application from the holder of the licence unless the Authority is satisfied that—

any of the circumstances set out in subsection (5)(a), (b), (c) or (e) applies; or

the applicant has been found guilty of an offence against this Act or the regulations; or

the applicant has failed to comply with this Act, the regulations or the conditions of his or her licence.

Upon application made in writing and upon payment of any additional prescribed fee, the Game Management Authority may vary any licence in force under this section in any respect and, as from the date of the variation, the licence is deemed to have been granted as so varied.

In considering an application under subsection (7B) the Game Management Authority may refuse to grant the application if the Authority is satisfied that any of the grounds set out in subsection (5)(a), (b), (c) or (e) applies.

A person who is not a natural person is not eligible to seek the issue of or to be granted a licence under this section.

The holder of a game licence must not contravene any condition, limitation or restriction to which the licence is subject.