The purpose of this law is to protect wildlife and rationalize hunting by implementing programs to protect wildlife, preventing and controlling damage caused by wildlife to ecosystems, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and other human activities, preventing hazards caused by the use of hunting equipment.
The Minister of the Environment shall prescribe basic guideline to implement programs for wildlife protection and control. Prefectural governor shall prescribe plans to implement wildlife protection and control program according to the basic guideline. Prefectures may establish Specified Wildlife Management Plans to control local populations of specific wildlife species. The Minister of the Environment may set a threatened wildlife protection plan.
A person wishing to hunt must obtain a hunting license. A person who wishes to raise wild birds and mammals must complete registration procedures at the prefecture. Unless the governmental agency proves that the capture of birds and mammals has been done legally, the export of them is prohibited. If deemed necessary for protecting wildlife, after considering the type of wildlife and its current status, National Wildlife Protection Areas are designated by the Minister of the Environment, and prefectural Wildlife Protection Areas are designated by the governor of the prefecture. The Act further makes provisions, inter alia, for: the capture or collection of wildlife or bird eggs, hunter registration, restrictions on the rearing and selling of wildlife, temporary game preserve areas, etc.