The Mink Keeping Order 1992

Made: 13th November 1992

Laid before Parliament: 25th November 1992

Coming into force: 1st January 1993

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales, being satisfied with respect to the non-indigenous animals which are the subject of this Order that by reason of their destructive habits it is desirable to control the keeping of them and to destroy any which may be at large, acting jointly, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 10(1) of the Destructive Imported Animals Act 1932[^f00001] and vested in them[^f00002] and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Order:

Title, commencement and duration

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Mink Keeping Order 1992 and shall come into force on 1st January 1993.

• (2) This Order shall cease to have effect on 1st January 1998.

Interpretation

2

In this Order—

• “the Act” means the Destructive Imported Animals Act 1932;

• “mink” means the animal of the species Mustela vison.

Keeping of mink

3

• (1) The keeping of mink is prohibited absolutely—

• (a) on any off-shore island of Great Britain other than the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Arran (including the neighbouring Holy Island);

• (b) in the Caithness District of the Highland Region of Scotland;

• (c) in the Sutherland District of the Highland Region of Scotland.

• (2) The keeping of any mink within the remainder of Great Britain is prohibited, except under a licence granted under the Act.

Exceptions to application of the Act

4

In the application of the Act in relation to mink, there shall be omitted section 5(2) and 6(1)(f) and in section 6(1) the reference to a penalty in the case of an offence under paragraph (f).

Signed

In witness whereof the Official Seal of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is hereunto affixed on

John Selwyn Gummer — Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food — 13th November 1992.

Hector Monro — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Scottish Office — 12th November 1992

David Hunt — Secretary of State for Wales — 12th November 1992

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order prohibits absolutely the keeping of mink on certain off-shore islands of Great Britain and in certain parts of the Highland Region of Scotland and prohibits the keeping of mink in the rest of Great Britain except under licence (article 3). The Order continues the prohibition imposed by the Mink (Keeping) Order 1987 (S.I. 1987/2196) which ceases to have effect on 1st January 1993.

In consequence of the making of this Order the provisions of the Destructive Imported Animals Act 1932 will continue to apply to mink, subject to certain exceptions relating to the duty on occupiers of land to give notice of the presence on their land of mink not kept under a licence (article 4).

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1932 c. 12.

[^f00002]: See S.I. 1969/388.