Purchase and sale of mounted/stuffed birds and animals
Here you will find legislation regulating trade in stuffed birds and animals and a guide to follow if you consider selling a stuffed bird.
Three different laws regulate different aspects: conservation, trade in endangered species and hunting. Essentially everything is banned, but there are many exceptions.
You are not allowed to advertise, sell, buy or exchange
- birds living in the wild within the EU’s European territory;
- certain protected animals (N/n species according to Annex 1 to the Species Protection Ordinance (2007:845);
- animals and plants covered by the CITES regulations in EC 338/97;
- wildlife that reverts to the government (“wildlife of the state”).
These prohibitions apply to all stages of life of living and dead animals, whole or parts, and goods that include the animal.
What about a stuffed bird?
1. To whom does the bird belong?
As a general rule, wildlife that has been taken charge of, found dead or killed reverts to the person with hunting rights. Wildlife includes wild mammals and birds. If you do not have hunting rights, you should have a deed of gift proving that the bird is yours.
2. Where does the bird come from?
Wild birds from SwedenTo sell a stuffed bird, you need to show that it has been legally acquired. It should be the result of legal hunting in Sweden at the time the animal was killed or has been found dead. Animals that have been caught, killed or collected according to the rules of hunting legislation may be advertised, sold, bought or exchanged even if they are protected, but the CITES regulations and the rules on “wildlife of the state” still apply.
Wild birds from other countries
The provisions on “wildlife of the state” do not apply to animals that have been hunted or found dead in other countries. Such animals may still be a protected species or covered by CITES regulations.
3. What species of bird is it? Is it a CITES species?
Trading of any species listed on CITES Annexes A or B is prohibited. Selling a stuffed bird that is on CITES Annex A requires a permit from the Swedish Board of Agriculture (CITES certificate). For species listed on CITES Annex B, you need to be able to show that the bird has been acquired legally for the trade to be legal.
Is it a protected species?
All birds that occur in the wild in the EU’s European territory are protected and may not be sold or exchanged.
Is it a species that reverts to the government?
To protect animal species that are endangered, rare or particularly valuable, the government has decided that certain species of wildlife revert to the state. Anyone who has found a dead animal of such a species or has taken charge of it or has killed such an animal except for permitted hunting needs to report this to the Police Authority.
In the case of stuffed animals, you need to know the year in which the animal died. This is because the listed species reverted to the state at different times.
Under certain conditions, the government can transfer ownership of specimens of wildlife that revert to the state. You can apply for this at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. You will need such documentation before applying for a CITES certificate from the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
4. If you have a permit
If you do not have a permit, you may advertise, sell, buy or exchange:
- Protected animals and parts of animals taken from nature legally before 1 January 1999.
- Processed specimens of species listed in CITES Annexes A or B that were killed and processed before 3 March 1947. The Swedish Board of Agriculture’s website explains what this includes. Stuffed birds are listed there, for example.
- Animals on the CITES B list if you can show that the animal has been acquired legally.
- Animals that do not revert to the state.
5. If you dont have a permit
If you have a permit, you may advertise, sell, buy or exchange:
- Animals that are on the CITES A list in EC 338/97 if there is a permit (CITES certificate) from the Swedish Board of Agriculture for this.
- Protected species if there is an exemption from the Swedish EPA.
- Protected species that are also CITES-listed, if the CITES regulations are fulfilled.
- Specimens of wildlife that revert to the state but that have been transferred.
How to apply for permit
To sell a protected species, you can apply for an exemption from the embargo with the Swedish EPA. If the bird species is both protected and CITES-listed, only the CITES regulations apply. Contact the Swedish EPA for more information at +46 (0)10-698 10 00 or e-mail:
Legislation
Three laws regulate different aspects: protection, trade in endangered species and hunting. Essentially everything is banned, but there are many exceptions. Similar regulations apply to live animals and plants, but they are not covered here.
- The Hunting Act (1987:259) and the Hunting Ordinance (1987:905)Section 10 of the Hunting Act covers the right to hunt. Section 25 of the Hunting Act contains information on wildlife of the state, and Section 33 of the Hunting Ordinance lists species currently covered by the regulations.
- The Species Protection Ordinance (2007:845)The prohibitions against advertising, selling, buying or exchanging protected species are in Section 25 of the Species Protection Ordinance, and the exceptions are in Section 30. Section 32 lists what options are available for obtaining an exemption from the prohibitions. Section 30 clarifies that if an animal is both protected and listed in Annexes A or B of EC 338/97, only the CITES regulations apply to trade in them.
- EC 338/97EC Regulation 338/97 is the EU’s common legislation on CITES and Article 8.1 of this regulation prohibit all commercial activities involving species in Annex A. Article 8.5 states that the same prohibition applies to species in Annex B.
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