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Wildlife Protection Laws in Panama

THE PRIMARY LAW PROTECTING WILDLIFE

1. Wildlife Law – Law 24 of 1995

PDF of Law 24 of 1995

Establishes wildlife as part of Panama’s natural heritage and declares its protection, conservation, restoration, research and sustainable management to be matters of public interest.
Law 24 establishes Panama’s principal legal framework for the protection, conservation, restoration, research and management of wildlife.
It regulates activities involving wild animals and plants, including their capture, collection, possession, transport, trade, breeding, import and export.
It should be read together with its regulations, species-protection resolutions, environmental legislation and international treaties such as CITES.

PROTECTS:

The legislation applies broadly to Panama’s wild fauna and flora. Species may also receive additional protection because they are nationally threatened, protected by another law, located within a protected area or listed under an international agreement such as CITES. In Bocas del Toro, relevant wildlife includes sloths, monkeys, bats, birds, reptiles, amphibians, sea turtles, manatees and many other native species.

Activities that may require prior authorization from MiAMBIENTE

Capturing or collecting wildlife.
Handling or relocating wildlife.
Keeping native wildlife in captivity.
Operating a wildlife rescue or rehabilitation facility.
Conducting scientific research or collecting specimens.
Breeding or managing wildlife.
Transporting wildlife.
Importing or exporting wildlife or wildlife products.
Commercial use or trade involving wildlife.

Members of the public should not capture or relocate wildlife themselves except where immediate action is necessary to prevent serious danger. Contact MiAMBIENTE or an authorised wildlife-rescue organisation for guidance.

Activities that may be prohibited or require authorization

Hunting wildlife contrary to hunting restrictions.
Capturing or possessing wildlife without authorization.
Selling or trafficking wildlife unlawfully.
Keeping native wild animals as pets without permission.
Collecting or destroying eggs, nests or breeding sites unlawfully.
Trading wildlife specimens, products or body parts without authorization.
Transporting wildlife without the required documentation.
Releasing captive or non-native animals without approval.
Harming threatened species or carrying out activities prohibited by an environmental permit or protected-area rule.

THE FRAMEWORK ENVIRONMENTAL LAW FOR PANAMA

2. General Environmental Law – Law 41 of 1998

PDF of law 41 of 1998

Law 41 establishes the legal framework for protecting, conserving, restoring, and sustainably managing Panama's environment and natural resources. It requires environmental considerations to be integrated into all public and private development decisions to achieve sustainable development.

Wildlife relevance:

Protects habitats.
Requires Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for projects that may affect wildlife.
Gives environmental authorities powers to stop environmental damage.
Applies to forests, wetlands, rivers, mangroves, reefs and marine ecosystems

Law 41 provides the broader framework for protecting Panama’s environment, biodiversity and natural resources.

Its relevance to wildlife includes:

Environmental assessment of projects that may affect wildlife or habitat.
Protection and sustainable management of ecosystems.
Inspection and enforcement powers.
Environmental management and mitigation obligations.
Restoration or remediation where environmental damage occurs.

Law 41 should be read as amended, particularly by Law 8 of 2015, which created MiAMBIENTE.

Learn more: General Environmental Law

5. Rights of Nature Law – Law 287 of 2022

PDF of Law 287 of 2022

The law recognizes Nature as a subject of rights, its intrinsic value, and the obligation of the State and all natural or legal persons to protect these rights, as well as to have legal standing for its defense. The law also includes a set of ecocentric principles, such as “in dubio pro natura,” which means that when scientific uncertainty exists about the consequences of an activity on an ecosystem, the State must prioritize protecting nature. The law provided that it would take effect one year after its promulgation and therefore became effective in February 2023.

Law 287 recognises nature as a subject of rights and acknowledges its intrinsic value. It establishes duties relating to the protection of those rights and provides a legal basis for their defence in accordance with the law.

This law states that nature has the right to:

Exist
Persist
Regenerate
Be restored
Maintain ecological functions

The law strengthens legal protection for ecosystems and provides an additional legal basis for challenging activities that damage wildlife habitats.

Wildlife protection is not limited to deliberate killing or capture. Habitat removal, destruction of nests or breeding areas, fragmentation of ecological corridors and projects that place protected wildlife at risk may also engage environmental, wildlife, forestry, protected-area or EIA requirements.

Whether a particular activity is unlawful depends on its location, the species affected, required permits, applicable environmental resolutions and the specific circumstances.

Wildlife Found in the Bocas del Toro Region

Bocas del Toro supports exceptional wildlife diversity, including sloths, howler and capuchin monkeys, bats, toucans, parrots, raptors, frogs, snakes, iguanas, caimans, crocodiles, sea turtles, dolphins and manatees.

Not every species occurs on every island or in every part of the province. Legal and conservation status should be confirmed using the species’ scientific name and the current official records.

Regardless of whether a species is formally classified as threatened, capturing, possessing, transporting, harming or trading native wildlife may still be regulated under Panama’s wildlife laws.

Wildlife and Infrastructure

Roads, electrical infrastructure, vegetation clearance and other development can fragment habitat and create risks for arboreal wildlife.

Where an approved Environmental Impact Study, Environmental Management Plan or environmental resolution requires wildlife crossings, insulated infrastructure, vegetation management, rescue procedures or other mitigation measures, those commitments form part of the project’s environmental obligations.

Project operators must comply with the conditions imposed by the competent authorities. Specific mitigation requirements depend on the project’s approved environmental documents and applicable law.