Defra needs to act
quickly on gamebird
releasing debacle
Conor O'Gorman
Continued intransigence at Defra on re-issuing a gamebird releasing general licence now risks an environmental and animal welfare crisis, says Conor O’Gorman.
Defra’s failure to re-issue a general licence (GL43) for the releasing of gamebirds in or around Special Protection Areas across England is now reaching a critical point.
Significant numbers of pheasants and red-legged partridges are now at the age where they need to move on to the next stage, of release. If they are not able to do so, there are serious welfare implications for these birds. This number will only increase in weeks ahead.
What are shoot managers supposed to do with these birds? They cannot wait weeks and months until Natural England sorts out an effective individual licensing system to replace Defra’s new version of this general licence.
Defra needs to reissue GL43 and include provision to allow gamebird releasing in and around Special Protection Areas as a matter of urgency to avoid an animal welfare disaster unfolding.
Uncertainty and chaos
The uncertainty and chaos that Defra has now caused is threatening the jobs of all those employed by these shoots and that risks a wider environmental crisis to come.
This is because Special Protection Areas have been designated precisely because farmers and shoot managers have managed habitats, predators and pest birds in these places for generations. Their efforts are giving rare breeding birds a foothold – the very birds that justify many of these sites being designated.
With the gamekeepers gone who will control the foxes and the crows? How many rare breeding birds will be lost thanks to Defra’s intransigence?
This should not be happening and clearly no lessons have been learned from the last general licences catastrophe in 2019.
Preparing legal proceedings
We have warned the Secretary of State of the consequences and BASC has instructed lawyers to begin the process that will seek permission from the High Court to bring a Judicial Review of Defra’s decision to withdraw GL43.
And there is a more fundamental issue because gamebird releasing should not be subject to any licensing regime.
Gamebird releasing is already regulated and, in any case, we know that high standards are followed by shoots of all sizes up and down the country and following GWCT guidelines for sustainable gamebird releasing.
Licensing of gamebird releasing is completely unnecessary and unworkable in practice, as proven by this debacle, with shoots, gamebirds and the environment paying the price.
We remain steadfastly opposed to proposals to licence the release of gamebirds in Wales and this unfolding crisis in England underlines our concerns.
Find the latest advice on gamebirds and Special Protection Areas here.
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