BASC briefing document on general licences
New briefing document gives MPs and the rural community the facts on general licences.
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BASC has produced a critique of the new “unworkable” crow general licence produced by Natural England
The new licence includes many more “additional restrictions and conditions” than its predecessor, which was one of the three general licences for the control of pest birds in England that was withdrawn by Natural England last week.
BASC and other rural organisations have described the new crow licence as “unworkable” and “not fit for purpose” and there are real fears for the quality of other general licences yet to be released.
BASC’s Dr Conor O’Gorman said: “Natural England needs to urgently come up with a new plan of action.
“Issuing further general licences as complicated and confusing as the crow licence is not going to solve this ongoing crisis in the countryside.”
Click here for the latest information.
The critique can be read here:
On 26 April Natural England issued a new general licence (GL26 – carrion crows – prevent serious damage to livestock including poultry and reared gamebirds) as part of the process of replacing the general licences it withdrew without consultation on 25 April.
BASC and other rural organisations have described the new crow general licence (GL26) as unworkable and not fit for purpose and there are real fears for the other general licences which have yet to be released.
To make things even more complicated Natural England also published on 26 April no less than three other documents associated with the new crow licence. There are GL33, WML-GU01 and WML-GU02.
Far from allowing crow control to carry on ‘much as before,’ the new crow licence (GL26) includes many additional restrictions and conditions than its revoked predecessor.
Key additional restrictions in the crow licence are as follows:
Click here for GL26 crow general licence to protect livestock
Click here for GL33 licence conditions for trapping and use of live decoys
Click here for WML-GU01 legal measures for managing wild birds
Click here for WML-GU02 relevance of Animal Welfare Act 2006
New briefing document gives MPs and the rural community the facts on general licences.
“The sort of behaviour and threats described by Packham does not help anyone’s cause and must stop.”
BASC is calling on Defra to reinstate the general licences that were withdrawn by Natural England last month as a matter of “absolute urgency”.
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