Late last night Natural England posted this which includes these words:
The decision to revoke these licences was not taken lightly. Natural England explored all other options available, but was left with no choice but to revoke the licences in order to comply with the law.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/general-licences-next-steps-to-apply-online?utm_source=68998524-9e74-4a74-ac9c-7331e38248e1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate
General licences will be restored as quickly as possible, starting with those species that are most likely to require urgent control. This will mean landowners can continue to take necessary action as they do now, whilst also taking into account the needs of wildlife. Natural England is working closely with farmers, pest controllers, gamekeepers and other professionals working in the countryside to ensure everyone who needs to control pests can.
…and these…
Natural England is undertaking new licensing assessments to support lethal control of certain birds in defined situations, such as to prevent serious damage to livestock from carrion crow and to preserve public health and safety from the impacts of feral pigeons. It intends to start issuing these licences on GOV.UK from 26 April. It will also publish a timetable then to show which licences will be available when.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/general-licences-next-steps-to-apply-online?utm_source=68998524-9e74-4a74-ac9c-7331e38248e1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate
So we should learn more today. Natural England using the word ‘pest’ is rather disappointing; it’ll be vermin next?
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i hope the idiots at Natural England will revoke the licence to indiscriminately shoot Buzzards which has led to the wiping out of Buzzards where i live.
Roy you will need to provide some evidence.
My experience, and i noticed two others yesterday pointed it out to you, that there are more Buzzards around York and I have found them to be increasing at least on the western side. That doesn’t mean some aren’t getting shot after all when there were none there were none to shoot.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see anger at the general licence being taken out on birds of prey. You can be sure that those who attacked Chris yesterday were not just a few bad apples.
Just tried the new online system for licences – it’s not working!
More grist to the mill for apoplectic farmers and gamekeepers.
Not a good look for NE.
Looks like they are trying very hard to go back to the same system instead of creating a new way of looking at protecting what is supposed to needing protected. Also they are doing this as they do not want to go to court and have to justify the need for licences.
I also flinched when I read the word ‘pest’ but then I wondered what term I would prefer. I recognise that wild animals can sometimes constitute a threat to human life (rarely in the UK!) or more commonly can harm farming interests or economic enterprise, so what should we call these animals? A weed is sometimes defined as a plant in the wrong place at the wrong time, so perhaps this definition could be worked into a new definition of so-called pest species, recognising the fact that these species can be problematic in specific places at specific times, but also highlighting the fact that they are not always a problem and cannot be indiscriminately targeted without proper justification. Potential pests perhaps?