An update today (Friday 21 March) has confirmed that GL43 will be released in the next couple of weeks. However, GL45 will not be released this year.
On Monday 3rd March the NGO, along with other countryside organisations, wrote to the Minister responsible for biosecurity, borders and plant health, Baroness Hayman, to express our concerns over the serious delay in releasing GL43 and GL45. These are the two licences which govern gamebird release around Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protected Areas (SPA).
Both licences are crucial for anyone who releases pheasant and partridge on or around these protected sites.
We have heard today that GL43 will be released in the next couple of weeks. However, GL45 will not be released this year.
The reason given for not approving GL45 to be issued is because of the high Avian Influenza risk, which means it is not possible to rule out the risk of HPAI spreading to the internationally protected birds present on SPAs.
Defra states that shoots will be able to apply for an individual licence for release of gamebirds on SPAs from Natural England, and will provide further information on individual licensing when available. We will pass this information on to members as soon as we are provided with it.
Applications for individual licences to release on SPAs will be assessed on their merits by Defra, and applicants should be aware that an individual licence is not guaranteed.
This decision could have serious economic repercussions for employment and the rural economy more widely. The NGO will be challenging this decision at the highest levels, and we will be keeping members informed at every step.
ENDS
Note to Editors:
The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation: The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) represents the gamekeepers of England and Wales. The NGO defends and promotes gamekeeping and gamekeepers and works to ensure high standards throughout the profession. The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation was founded in 1997 by a group of gamekeepers who felt that keepering was threatened by public misunderstanding and poor representation. Today, the organisation has around 13,000 members.
www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk
