Operational information - licences and permits issued by the Conservation Regulator

Authorities to Control Wildlife issued

The number of Authorities to Control Wildlife (ATCWs) issued in Victoria varies each year. It can depend on changing environmental conditions such as rainfall and its impacts on food and water availability for wildlife.

Wherever possible, the Conservation Regulator advocates non-lethal management of wildlife. Where non-lethal techniques are ineffective or impractical, lethal control may be necessary.

Not all non-lethal control requires an ATCW. For example installing fencing or netting to keep wildlife out of an area where they may be causing damage or removing old nests when there are no eggs or nesting birds present.

However, there are some non-lethal control options which do require an ATCW. Examples include trapping and relocating wildlife, deliberate use of noise, water or smoke to disrupt normal behaviours such as roosting or ushering macropods out of an area.

The table below describes all ATCWs issued between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025.

Each calendar year, a summary of all ATCWs issued (by species) in Victoria is published.

These have been broken into lethal and non-lethal control for 2020- 2025. You can view the summaries here:

2025 ATCW annual data

2024 ATCW annual data

2023 ATCW annual data(opens in a new window)

2022 ATCW annual data

2021 ATCW annual data

2020 ATCW annual data

2009-2019 ATCW annual data

Marine mammal tour permits issued

Permits to conduct commercial tours with whales, dolphins and at designated seal colonies are issued under Division 2 of the Wildlife Act 1975.

Wildlife import export permits issued

Permits to import or export wildlife into or out of Victoria are issued under section 50 of the Wildlife Act 1975. These permits are not renewable.

Wildlife licences issued

Wildlife licences are issued under section 22 of the Wildlife Act 1975 and are issued for either one or three years.

The table below describes the number of new licence applications approved and the number of existing licences renewed between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.

* Wildlife specimen licences are issued for three years and have a common expiry date.

Wildlife shelter and foster carer authorisations issued

Authorisations to allow for the care, treatment and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife are issued under section 28A of the Wildlife Act 1975. The table below describes the number of new applications approved between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.