32.—F84[(1) It shall be an offence for a person, otherwise than pursuant to and in accordance with a licence granted by the Minister for the purposes of this subsection, to—

(a) mark by cutting, branding or tattooing, or

(b) attach any band, ring, microchip, tag or other marking device to,

any wild animal or wild bird or to take by net, trap or by any other means any such animal or bird for the purposes of so marking it or attaching to it any band, ring, microchip, tag or other marking device.

(1A) Subject to subsection (4) of section 31 of this Act, the Minister may by regulations specify the method of marking, including the type and size of any band, ring, microchip, tag or other marking device or substance, for the purposes of either or both the said section 31 and of this section and different methods may be specified for different species.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to—

(a) the close ringing of artificially reared wild birds,

(b) captive bred birds prescribed in an open seasons order,

(c) captive bred waterfowl collections, or

(d) the clipping of the feathers of an artificially reared protected wild bird for purposes of the confinement prior to the release into the wild of such protected wild bird.]

(3) It shall be an offence for a person to import F85[into the State from outside the European Union] or have in his possession a cannon-net, mist-net, rocket-net or similar appliance for taking or trapping unless he is the holder of a licence granted by the Minister for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.

F86[(3A) The granting of a licence under subsection (3) of this section shall not be construed as restricting any application of, or removing any obligation to comply with, the Firearms Acts, 1925 to 2000.]

(4) A licence granted for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section may, as the Minister thinks fit, apply to wild animals and wild birds (other than artificially-reared wild birds) generally or to such species of such animals and birds as are specified in the licence.

(5) A licence granted for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section may be expressed, and if so expressed shall operate, to authorise the doing of, within an area or areas specified in the licence, and only within such area or areas, the things permitted to be done by the licence.

(6) A person shall not be convicted under this section and under section 22, 23 or 34 of this Act in respect of the same act.