The pine marten is protected in Ireland by national and international legislation.

Under the Irish Wildlife Acts it is an offence, except under licence, to capture or kill
a pine marten, or to destroy or disturb its breeding or resting places.

For further information on licences please email: [email protected]

The European Union’s Habitats and Species Directive further obliges Ireland to maintain the favourable conservation status of the pine marten throughout its range.

 

Important note
If setting traps for species such as grey squirrels or rats, precautions should be taken to reduce the likelihood of pine martens entering traps. If using spring loaded traps, these must be installed inside a tunnel with excluder bars fitted across the entrance to exclude larger non-target animals, such as the pine marten. A pine marten can squeeze through a 45mm gap, so the space between the bars should be smaller than this. Live capture traps should be checked at least once every 12 hours and more frequently (every four hours) if set between March to June, as this is the time when female martens may have dependent young (kits) and any extended periods of time spent away from their kits could be detrimental to their survival.