This announcement from Natural Resources Wales on the future of general licences in Wales is very sensible and very welcome. https://naturalresources.wales/about-us/news-and-eventsc/news/nrw-announces-new-licences-for-wild-bird-control/?lang=en
It doesn’t mean that bird species causing real problems can’t be killed but it limits the species and situations where the licence to do this is general. General is often, wrongly, taken to mean anywhere any time in any numbers under any circumstances. The law has never allowed this and so anyone claiming to have lost this ability is mistaken – they never had it.
Specific licences can be sought to kill any wild bird species from Robin to Rook and from Meadow Pipit to Mute Swan but evidence should be provided as to both the need and the non-lethal means which have been evaluated and found wanting. Again this seems very reasonable.
We will learn more from NRW on 7 October, but judging from the splenetic views of some involved in shooting there is more good news to come from NRW. So far, so good.
NRW seems to be leading the way and I hope SNH and Defra will follow.
The ripples from Wild Justice’s legal challenge of general licences continue to spread.
[registration_form]
It is getting impossible to see how NE and SNH can fail to do the right thing. I’m sure that many were expecting new laws to allow general licences to be able to be issued as before, but this NRW does seem to make that less likely.
I certainly hope this is true, and wonder which circumstances this refers to…..
“The main change to the general licences is that users no longer need to confirm that they have tried all other non-lethal methods of control because NRW, after reviewing all the evidence, is now satisfied that no other methods work effectively in these circumstances”
So it seems the changes are as follows…plus users dont need to show they have used non lethal methods first…this is very positive I’d say…
“GL001 – Prevent serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables or fruit or to prevent the spread of disease to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables or fruit. This will not now include rook, jay or collared dove. We have also revised the purpose of this general Licence so as to be for the spread of disease to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables or fruit.
GL002 – Preserving public health and preventing the spread of disease. This will not now include carrion crow, magpie, jackdaw, rook, jay, collared dove or wood pigeon.
iii. GL004 – Conservation of wild birds. This will not now include rook, feral pigeon or Canada goose.”