To report a Wildlife Crime against bats (or against any other wildlife), please:
- Dial 101 and ask to be connected to your local PSNI station
- Request to report a ‘Wildlife Crime’
- Request the ‘C&C reference’ of your logged report for your own records
Bats and their roosts are protected by law throughout Ireland and Great Britain. This means that bats should not be disturbed at any time no matter where they are. Roosts are also protected at all times regardless of whether bats are present or absent.
Anyone in Northern Ireland wishing to carry out work on any structure which may interfere with the bats or their roost should first contact the Northern Ireland Environment Agency for guidance. If bats are discovered during works, all activity should cease until advice is sought from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
Planned development should include a competent Environmental Impact Assessment to mitigate disturbance to vulnerable and protected species.
Click here to download Focus on BATS, an e-booklet containing general information about these fascinating animals, including further information about bats and the law.
Download Bats and Development, a booklet written by Northern Ireland Environment Agency providing basic advice for developers, planning officers and others that may come across bat issues relating to planning.
It provides information on bat species in Northern Ireland, the likely pitfalls of unconsidered development and current associated mandatory protective legislation. It provides a framework for providing adequate measures to protect all bat species from the possible negative consequences of development.
