Law No 19 of 2004 Conservation of Wildlife
and their Natural Habitats 19 / 2004
Number of Articles: 9
Table of Content
Articles (1-9)
We Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar,
Having perused the Amended Provisional Constitution, and in particular
Articles 23, 34, and 51 thereof;
Law No. 4 of 1983 on the Sustainable Utilization of Living Aquatic
Resources in Qatar, as amended;
Law No. 10 of 1987 on State Public and Private Property, as amended;
Law No. 1 of 1988 on the Regulation of Groundwater Wells Drilling, as
amended;
Law No. 32 of 1995 on the Conservation of the Floral Ecosystem;
Decree-Law No. 11 of 2000 on the Establishment of the Supreme Council
for Environment and Natural Reserves,
Law No. 4 of 2002 on the Regulation of wild birds and reptiles hunting;
The Environmental Protection Law promulgated by Decree-Law No. 30
of 2002;
The ratification of the Convention on the Conservation of the Wildlife
and Natural Habitats in the GCC, issued by Decree No. 43 of 2003;
The proposal of the President of the Supreme Council for Environment
and Natural Reserves;
The draft law submitted by the Council of Ministers;
Having consulted the Shura Council;
Hereby promulgate the following:
Articles
Article 1
In the implementation of this Law, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and
expressions shall have the meanings herein stated:
“Council”: means the High Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves.
“General Secretariat”: means the General Secretariat of the Council.
“Relevant Directorate”: means the Directorate for the Protection and Development of Wildlife
at the Council.
“Wildlife”: means all types of living organisms, including animals, birds, plants, bacteria and
fungi, whether within or outside their natural habitat.
“Natural Habitat”: means naturalareas or environments where an organism or ecological
community normally lives or occurs.
“Biodiversity”: means all patterns of life on earth, including all natural types of all genetic patterns
and all ecosystems.
Article 2
The Council shall undertake the following:
1. Rehabilitation and administration of suitable Natural Habitat for the Wildlife.
2. Prohibition or restriction of human activities which would distort the Natural Habitat or its
ecological productivity.
3. Preservation of endangered species.
4. Supervision and observation of the sustainable utilization of natural living organisms, in
such a manner as to guarantee against the threat to the natural survival or existence of any
species.
5. Maintenance of a system for the registration of the species listed in the Schedules attached
to this Law.
Article 3
The Relevant Directorate shall undertake the following functions:
1. Facilitation of the conducting of research and studies on the Natural Habitat of various
patterns of natural organisms and their places of distribution and movements.
2. Preparation and publication of information relating to the wildlife organisms and their
Natural Habitat.
3. Setting the terms and procedures for licensing the ownership of natural living organisms.
4. Recommending the allocation of certain places as natural reserves for the conservation and
rehabilitation of Biodiversity, in coordination with the competent authorities.
5. Coordination with the competent authorities in relation to grazing, and the specification of
grazing areas and times.
6. Recommendation of plans and programmes necessary to prevent negative effects resulting
from development projects in areas of natural distribution of the wildlifefauna and flora as
specified in the Schedules attached to this Law.
7. Taking the necessary steps for the prohibition of overexploitation of animals listed in the
Second and Third Annexes to this Law in any manner that would lead to their extinction,
and organising their sustainable harvesting by virtue of special licences.
8. Taking the necessary measures for the protection of migrating populations of species listed
in the Second and Third Annexes to this Law.
Article 4
Without prejudice to the provisions of the aforementioned Law No 4 of 2002 and decree Law No
30 of 2002, no acts, transactions, activities or procedures that would dilapidate, destroy, distort or
deteriorate the wildlife environment, or affect the richness of the natural reserves. The following
shall be particularly prohibited:
1. Hunting, transferring or killing land or sea organisms, or committing any act which would
destroy or injure the same.
2. Taking, transferring or injuring any living or other organicmatter such as natural and
artificial seashells and coral reefs for any reason whatsoever.
3. Dilapidation, transfer or cuttingthe flora found in the natural reserve.
4. Dilapidation, transfer or destruct of geological or geographical formations, or reproduction
habitatsand nurseries for differentfauna and floraspecies.
5. Introduction into the natural reserve of any exogenous species.
6. Pollution of the land, water or air of the natural reserve in any manner whatsoever.
7. Construction of buildings or erection establishments, roads, driving vehicles, or the
exercise of any agricultural, industrial, pastoral or other activity at the natural reserve.
8. Uprooting or cutting any of the natural organisms, or parts thereof, or the collection of
their seeds, except for approved scientific purposes.
9. Acquiring or killing any natural organisms.
The Chairperson may license the conduct of any of the foregoing acts, transactions or activities,
subject to such terms and procedures as may be issued by virtue of a decision by the Council.
Article 5
No activity, transaction, works or experiments shall be carried out at the area surrounding the
natural reserve if such would affect the environment at the reserve or its natural phenomenon.
The delimitation of such area shall be determined by virtue of a decision by the Chairperson of the
Council, upon a proposal by the Relevant Directorate and in coordination with concerned
authorities.
Article 6
Without prejudice to any more severe punishment under any other law, any person who violates
any of the foregoing Articles shall be punished with detention for a period not exceeding one year
and a fine of not less than ten thousand (10,000) Riyals and not exceeding one hundred thousand
(100,000) Riyals with any of the aforesaid punishments.
The punishment shall be compounded in the case of repetition, and an offender shall be deemed to
have repeated the offence where he commits a similar offence within five years from the date of
full execution of the sentenced punishment, or its expiry by way of limitation.
In all cases a judgment shall be passed to the effect of confiscation of the machineries, tools,
systems and equipment used in the commission of the offence, and compelling the offender to
remove the violation at his cost.
Article 7
The staff of the General Secretariat and other administrative bodies with respect of whom a
decision shall be issued by the Prosecutor General, in coordination with the Council, shall acquire
quasi-judicial powers in relation to the control and proving of offences committed in violation of
the provisions of this Law.
Article 8
The Chairperson of the Council shall issue the decisions necessary for the implementation of this
Law.
Article 9
All the relevant bodies, each as regards its specialisation, shall implement this Law, which shall
be published in the Official Gazette
Please do not consider the material presented above Official
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