Section 2: Interpretation

2. Interpretation In this Act— “Advisory Council” means the Wildlife and National Parks Advisory Council established under section 3; “animal” includes any animal or animal parts or derivatives, fish, aquatic animal, shellfish, shell, coral or egg; “authorised officer” means a public officer authorised by the Permanent Secretary to carry out the functions specified in this Act; “buffer zone” means an area of land declared as such under section 12; “camaron” means the native freshwater crustacea known as Macrobrachium lar, Macrobrachium australe or Macrobrachium hirtimanus; “close season”, in relation to any game, means a period during which hunting of that game is prohibited; “Director” means the Director of the National Parks and Conservation Service; “Fund” means the National Parks and Conservation Fund established under section 25; “game” means the wildlife specified in the First Schedule; “game licence” means the licence referred to in section 19; “hunt” includes kill, shoot, trap, capture, disturb or molest; “hunting equipment” means any gun, weapon, implement, apparatus, or material which can be used to hunt wildlife or take any product; “land” includes land covered by the sea or other waters, and the part of the sea or those waters covering that land, and the atmosphere above the surface of that land, and extends downwards to the centre of the earth; “member” means a member of the Wildlife and National Parks Advisory Council; “Minister” means the Minister to whom responsibility for the subject of natural resources is assigned; “national park” means any land declared as such under section 11; “nature reserve” has the same meaning as in the Forest and Reserves Act; “officer” means an officer of the National Parks and Conservation Service, a police officer, forest officer or fisheries officer; “Permanent Secretary” means the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry; [Issue 1] W6 – 2 Revised Laws of Mauritius “plant” includes any member of the vegetable kingdom, as well as bark, charcoal, creepers, fibres, firewood, fruit, grass, seeds, spices, seaweed, algae, seagrass, and any other thing that may be severed from or derived from a plant; “prescribed species of wildlife” means species of wildlife prescribed for the purposes of section 17 (1); “product”, in relation to wildlife, includes— (a) the carcass; (b) any material obtained from the carcass; and (c) any egg or nest of that form of wildlife; “protected wildlife” means wildlife, other than game and the wildlife specified in the Second Schedule; “reserved land” means any land declared to be a national park or other reserve under section 11; “Service” means the National Parks and Conservation Service referred to in section 8; “shrimp” means the native freshwater crustacea known as caridina atrya or ortmania; “structure” includes any fence, road, building, bench, table, fireplace, path marker, boundary marker, sign or any other item built or placed with approval within reserved land; “symbol” means any logo, design or pattern as may be adopted by the Service and published in the Gazette; “vehicle” includes any means of transportation in the air, on land or in, or on, water; “wildlife” includes— (a) any living creature except— (i) a human being; (ii) a dog or cat; (iii) domestic livestock; (iv) fish within the meaning of the Fisheries and Marine Resources Act; and (b) such plants as may be prescribed. PART II – THE WILDLIFE AND NATIONAL PARKS ADVISORY COUNCIL