REPTILES (PROTECTION) REGULATIONS

REPTILES (PROTECTION)

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 549.02

REPTILES (PROTECTION) REGULATIONS

11th August, 1992

LEGAL NOTICE 76 of 1992, as amended by Legal Notice 426 of 2007.

The title of these regulations is the Reptiles (Protection)

Regulations.

Scientific name

Common name

Maltese name

REPTILIA

REPTILES

RETIILI

Leathersack turtle

Fekruna sewda

Dermochelys coriacea

Loggerhead turtle

Fekruna

Caretta caretta

Green turtle

Fekruna ]adranija

Chelonia mydas

Moorish gecko

Wi\g]a tal-kampanja

Tarentola mauritanica

Turkish gecko

Wi\g]a tad-djar

Hemidactylus turcicus

Chamaleon

Kamaleonte

Chamaeleo charnaeleon

Filflawall lizard

Gremxula ta’ Filfla

Podarcisfilfolensis

filfolensis

Maltese wall lizard

Gremxula ta’ Malta

Podarcisfilfolensis

maltensis

St. Paul’s Island wall lizard Gremxula tal-G\ejjer ta’

Podarcisfilfolensis

San Pawl

kielselbasachi

Fungus Rock wall lizard

Gremxula tal-blata

Podarcisfilfolensis

tal-{eneral

generalensis

Ocellated skink

Xa]met l-art

Chalcides ocellatus

Algerian whip snake

Serp A]dar

Coluber algirus

Western whip snake

Serp Iswed

Coluber viridiflavus

Leopard snake

Lifg]a

Elaphesitula

Cat snake

Teleskopus

Telescopus fallax

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires

"Act" means the Environment Protection Act;

"Director" means the Director responsible for the environment,

and includes any officer in his Department who is authorized by

him to act on his behalf;

"export" means the taking out of Malta of any specimen;

"import" means the bringing into Malta of any specimen;

"Minister" means the Minister responsible for the environment;

"person" includes any person or body of persons acting under the

instructions of any employer, master or owner;

"specimen" means any reptile specified in the Schedule, of

whatever species, whether living or dead, whether whole or in part,

wheth er in the ori gnal form or after havin g un derg one any

transformation, wherever found in the Maltese islands and their

territorial waters;

"take" means to remove from the natural habitat.

The species of reptiles listed in the Schedule are declared

to be species of reptiles protected for the for the purpose of the Act.

(1) The Director shall be responsible for the administration

and implementation of these regulations.

(2) The Director shall have such rights of inspection as are

listed in the Act.

(3) The Minister may at any time order the Commissioner of

Police to take such immediate action as may be required to prevent

any person from acting in contravention of these regulations.

(1) The species of reptiles declared to be protected under

the Act shall be those listed in the Schedule.

(2) No person shall pursue, take or attempt to take, kill or

attempt to kill, possess, sell by any method, buy, exchange, import

or export any of the species, or any part or derivative of such

species, listed in the Schedule.

(3) Any person who shall possess a marine turtle prior to the

coming into force of these regulations shall register such marine

turtle with the Director responsible for fisheries within three

months from the publication of these regulations.

(4)

Any marine turtle accidentally caught by fishermen during

REPTILES (PROTECTION)

their normal fishing activities and landed at the fish market in

Va l l e t t a , s h a l l b e su r r e n d e r e d i m m e d i a t e l y t o t h e D i r e c t o r

responsible for fisheries who shall then dispose of it for scientific

p u r p o s e s o n l y, a n d i n s u c h c a s e s , t h e f i s h e r m a n s h a l l b e

compensated for any loss of tackle or income as fixed from time to

time by the Director responsible for fisheries.

Any person who has in his possession any specimen the

import of which is subject to these or other regulations, shall retain

in his possession and until such time as that specimen remains in

his possession, all permits, certificates and licences relative to the

import of that specimen.

(1) The Director may issue permits for the taking and

keeping of any species listed in the Schedule if such applications

are intended for bona fide scientific studies or other similar

purpose.

(2) All such permits shall lapse at the end of the calendar year,

and have to be renewed prior to the beginning of the following

year.

The Director may prohibit the importation of any species

of reptiles if, in his opinion, such trade can lead to the endangering

of the biological identity of these islands or their territorial waters.

(1) Any person who shall take, kill, possess, sell by any

m e t h o d , b u y, e x c h a n g e , i m p o r t o r e x p o r t a n y s p e c i m e n i n

contravention of these regulations, and any person who contravenes

any restriction, prohibition or requirement imposed by or under

these regulations, and any person who conspires or attempts, or

aids, abets, counsels or procures any other person to commit any of

the above offences, shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Any person who commits an offence against these

regulations shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine (multa) of not

less than fifty-eight euro and twenty-three cents (€58.23) for a first

offence, and not more than two hundred and thirty-two euro and

ninety-four cents (€232.94) for each subsequent offence, which fine

shall in each case apply to each specimen involved.

REPTILES (PROTECTION)