New 2023 Welsh General Licences for birds published

More News

Natural Resources Wales have published the new 2023 General Licences for birds. The 2023 licences remain unchanged from those published in July 2022, which were released following the outcome of NRW's Wild Bird Review.

The National Gamekeepers' Organisation had sight of preview versions of the licences. In those, the NRW had proposed changes that we believed would make the licences unworkable. We suggested changes to these licences, and the NGO have therefore been instrumental in enabling operators to carry on with important conservation and crop protection work.

We also wrote to all board members of Natural Resources Wales highlighting the importance of General Licences as a conservation tool. We are pleased therefore that the Welsh Government has decided to leave the current general licences in place, rather than cause any confusion by making changes to the rules.

The details of all licences can be found here: Natural Resources Wales / General licences for birds 2023 .

To recap

General Licences do not have to be applied for, but you need to read and understand which licence is specific to the pest control operation that you are carrying out. You must adhere to all of the terms and conditions of the relevant licence in the link above. Authorised persons intending to carry out activities under this licence are advised to print out, sign and date the relevant licence and keep it with you to show that you have read and understood how the licences work.