Act No. 102 on the hunting, trapping and culling of wild animals (Wildlife Resources Act).

This Act establishes a comprehensive legal framework for the sustainable management of wild fauna in Norway, replacing the 1981 Wildlife Act. Its core purpose is to ensure that hunting, trapping, culling, and all handling of wildlife occur in a sustainable, ecologically responsible, and animal welfare–compliant manner, aligned with broader legislation such as the Nature Diversity Act and Animal Welfare Act. The law provides detailed definitions of key concepts such as hunting, trapping, licensed culling, and damage control culling. It also incorporates cross-cutting considerations, including respect for Sámi cultural interests and compliance with international law.
Institutionally, the Act distributes responsibilities across multiple governance levels, including the King (central government), ministries, directorates, county authorities, and municipalities, all tasked with advancing wildlife management objectives and providing guidance. It establishes administrative tools such as the central hunter register (Jegerregisteret) and introduces financial mechanisms including hunter fees, culling fees, and national, regional, and municipal wildlife funds to support management activities. The law also empowers authorities to issue detailed regulations on hunting seasons, quotas, geographic restrictions, and species-specific measures, while generally prohibiting hunting during sensitive periods such as breeding seasons. Additional provisions regulate activities like egg and down collection, including culturally specific practices such as traditional duck hunting in Sámi areas.
The Act sets strict conditions for participation in hunting and trapping, requiring individuals to pass a hunter’s exam, register officially, and pay annual fees, with additional competency requirements (e.g., shooting tests for large game). It imposes detailed rules on the ethical and safe conduct of hunting, including obligations to ensure humane killing, mandatory tracking and dispatch of wounded animals, and reporting duties. The law restricts or prohibits various hunting methods and technologies, such as poisons, explosives, non-selective traps, artificial lights, and motorized pursuit, while regulating the use of firearms, dogs, and baiting practices. It also defines clear rights and obligations concerning land ownership, affirming the landowner’s exclusive right to hunt, subject to statutory limitations, and clarifying rules for shared lands, public lands, and indigenous rights.
Finally, the Act regulates special forms of wildlife control, including licensed culling, damage culling, and state-initiated interventions, often linked to biodiversity protection or conflict mitigation under the Nature Diversity Act. It contains extensive provisions on enforcement, including administrative penalties, withdrawal of rights, and criminal sanctions (fines or imprisonment up to two years for serious violations). Additional rules govern the handling, trade, and ownership of wildlife and wildlife products, the prohibition of keeping wild animals in captivity without authorization, and public responsibilities for dealing with injured or dead animals. The Act concludes with transitional provisions, amendments to related legislation, and mechanisms allowing flexible regulatory responses to changing ecological conditions or management needs.