The Conservation of Seals (England) Order 1999

Statutory Instruments

1999 No. 3052

SEA FISHERIES, ENGLAND

The Conservation of Seals (England) Order 1999

Made

11th November 1999

Laid before Parliament

22nd November 1999

Coming into force

19th December 1999

Whereas it appears to the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Natural Environment Research Council, that it is necessary to make an order under section 3(1) of the Conservation of Seals Act 1970(1) for the proper conservation of seals;

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by that provision, he hereby makes the following Order:

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Conservation of Seals (England) Order 1999 and shall come into force on 19th December 1999.

(2) This Order does not extend to Scotland.

2.  There is prohibited, within the territorial limits set out in article 3, the killing, injuring or taking of seals of the species known as Halichoerus grypus (grey seals) and Phoca vitulina (common seals).

3.  For the purposes of article 2, the territorial limits of this Order are—

(a) the counties of Durham, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Sussex, Essex, Hartlepool, Kent, Kingston-upon-Hull, Lincolnshire, the Medway Towns, Middlesbrough, Norfolk, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, Southend-on-Sea, Stockton-on-Tees, Suffolk, Thurrock, Tyne and Wear and the administrative area of Greater London; and

(b) those territorial waters adjacent to England which are—

(i) to the south of a line drawn at 055 true from the point on the mainland at 55 48 .67 North latitude and 02 02 .0 West longitude; and

(ii) adjacent to any of the counties specified in paragraph (a) and, in the case of East Sussex, not further west than a line drawn true south from Newhaven Breakwater Head Light which is at 50 46 .5 North latitude and 00 03 .6 East longitude.

Mike O'Brien

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Home Office

11th November 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order prohibits with effect from 19th December 1999 the killing, injuring or taking of grey seals and common seals in the counties of England bordering the North Sea set out in article 3(a) of the Order and the adjacent territorial waters. The Conservation of Seals (England) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/2905) ceases to have effect on that date. Any person who acts in contravention of this Order is guilty of an offence under section 3(2) of the Conservation of Seals Act 1970.

(1)

1970 c. 30.