24. (1) Any person may, without a permit, use equipment, other than an aircraft or firearms, to scare migratory birds that are causing or are likely to cause damage to crops or other property.

(2) The chief game officer of a province, with the concurrence of the Director, may grant a permit to any person residing in the province to use an aircraft or firearms, in the area designated and during the time specified in the permit, for the purpose of scaring migratory birds that are causing or likely to cause damage to crops or other property in the area.

(3) No person shall, while scaring migratory birds pursuant to subsection (1) or (2), kill, wound or take such birds.

25. (1) Where the chief game officer of a province and the Director are satisfied that scaring migratory birds is not a sufficient deterrent to prevent the birds from causing serious damage to any property, the chief game officer may grant a permit authorizing all persons residing in that province or a part of that province to kill, during the time specified and in the area designated in the permit, migratory birds described in the permit.

(2) A permit issued under subsection (1) is valid from the date of issue to the expiry date specified in the permit or, if it is cancelled by the chief game officer, to the date of cancellation.

26. (1) A game officer may, with the prior concurrence of the Regional Director, issue to a person who owns, leases or manages an area of land, a permit that describes the area and authorizes that person and his nominees to scare or kill within that area migratory birds that are causing or are likely to cause damage therein.

(2) A permit referred to in subsection (1) is valid

• (a) from the date of issue to the date specified in the permit,

• (b) until the date of cancellation by a game officer, or

• (c) until the date the crop in the area mentioned in the permit has been removed,

whichever date first occurs.

(3) A person to whom a permit is issued pursuant to subsection (1) may nominate, from among the residents of the province in which the area described in the permit is situated, as many nominees as are specified in the permit.

(4) A nomination by a permit holder shall be in writing and the nominee shall carry the nomination with him at all times while he is hunting on the land of the permit holder.

(5) A person to whom a permit is issued under this section shall, within 15 days after its expiration or cancellation,

• (a) return the permit to the game officer who, or office that, issued it; and

• (b) report to the game officer such information with respect to the birds killed pursuant to the permit as the game officer may require.

26.1 (1) The Minister may, if the Minister has reason to believe that it is necessary to reduce the damage or danger that migratory birds are causing or likely to cause to health, safety, agricultural or other interests in a particular community, issue to a person who owns, leases or manages an area of land in that community a permit specifying the area and authorizing the person and the person’s nominees named in the permit to collect and destroy the eggs of migratory birds specified in the permit and to dispose of the eggs in the manner provided in the permit.

(2) The permit is valid from the date of issue to the expiry date specified in the permit or, if it is cancelled by the Minister, to the date of cancellation.