The aim and task of species protection is the preservation of legally protected animal and plant species and the protection of their habitats and biotopes. Any action that leads to the impairment, disturbance or destruction of the aforementioned protected species is prohibited under the Nature Conservation and Landscape Management Act (BNatSchG).

Exemption from these prohibitions may be granted on application if this is necessary for reasons of overriding public (including social or economic) interest or if the implementation of the regulation would lead to unintended hardship in individual cases and the deviation is compatible with the interests of nature conservation and landscape management.

The granting of derogations and exemptions from species protection regulations concerns

1. in connection with specially protected species

• prohibitions on capture, killing and possession
• the keeping of and trade in specimens of specially protected species
• the marking of specimens of specially protected species

2. in connection with species that are not specially protected

• Permits for the commercial collection of wild plants and wild animals, unless hunting or fishing rights take precedence