Some statutes specifically refer to the offence of poaching; others make it an offence to illegally take or kill wildlife in certain circumstances.
The main statutes governing poaching are: the Game Act 1931 (maximum penalty £5,000); the Poaching Prevention Act 1862 (maximum penalty £1,000); and the Night Poaching Acts 1828 and 1844 (maximum penalty £2,500 and/or six months imprisonment).
Statutes carrying a penalty for the illegal taking or killing of certain wildlife species are: the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (maximum penalty £5,000 and or/six months imprisonment); the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 (the maximum penalty is an unlimited fine and/or up to two years imprisonment); and the Deer Act 1991 (maximum penalty of £2,500 and/or three months imprisonment).