10 Power to grant licences.
1
A licence may be granted to any person by the Secretary of State authorising that person, notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this Act, but subject to compliance with any conditions specified in the licence,—
a
for scientific or educational purposes to kill or take within an area specified in the licence by any means so specified other than by the use of strychnine any number of seals so specified;
b
for the purposes of any zoological gardens or collection specified in the licence to take within an area specified in the licence by any means so specified any number of seals so specified;
c
for—
i
the prevention of damage to fisheries;
ii
the reduction of a population surplus of seals for management purposes; . . . F1
iii
the use of a population surplus of seals as a resource, F2or
F3iv
the protection of flora or fauna in an area to which subsection (4) of this section applies,
to kill or take within any area specified in the licence by any means so specified other than by the use of strychnine any number of seals so specified.
2
A licence granted under this section may be revoked at any time by the Secretary of State and, without prejudice to any other liability to a penalty which he may have incurred under this or any other Act, any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any condition imposed on the grant of a licence under this section shall be guilty of an offence.
3
The Secretary of State—
a
shall consult the Council before granting a licence under this Act; and
F54
This subsection applies to any area which—
a
is a nature reserve within the meaning of section 15 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949;
F6b
F7 c
F11is an area to which section 29(3) of that Act (special protection for certain areas of special scientific interest) applies; or
F11is an area in respect of which a nature conservation order or land management order made under Part 2 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 (asp 6) has effect; or