Wildlife in Scotland is protected by a range of national and international legislation. These laws are designed to protect rare and vulnerable species as well as their breeding and resting places.
However, it is also recognised that there are particular circumstances, for example, to protect public health and safety, or to prevent serious damage to agriculture, where it is desirable to licence acts which would otherwise be unlawful.
The Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage issue licences under certain circumstances defined in wildlife legislation.