Update on 2024 gamebird licensing from the Defra Secretary of State

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The Defra Secretary of State, The Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, has written to the NGO with another update on Defra’s approach to licensing the release of gamebirds this year. 

Disappointingly, the letter did not include the vital information we needed: that is, the final details of pheasant and red-legged partridge releases on SPAs and their 500m buffer zone. These final details had previously been expected to be released by the end of February. The Secretary of State has now indicated that ‘mid-March’ is the new target publishing date.

You will recall the debacle of 2023 when Defra announced proposed changes to proposed changes to GL43 – the licence which covers the release of common pheasants or red-legged partridges on European Protected Sites and within 500m of their boundary in England – on 10 May, just 21 days before the changes were due to come into force.

As a result of last year’s disaster, we highlighted to Defra the importance of early communications on any future changes, since spring is a time-critical stage in the breeding cycle of gamebirds and thus for gamekeepers making preparations for the season ahead. We are disappointed that the initial February deadline has been missed, but hope that the March target is achievable.

In his letter, Mr Barclay writes that: “We are working towards issuing a general licence for selected SPAs, with appropriate conditions attached, for gamebird release in 2024. I hope that this new general licence will provide greater freedom for those shoots operating on the selected SPAs to release birds without the need to apply for an individual licence.”

The full letter from the Secretary of State can be found below. As soon as we receive any further communications we will share these with our members.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I write again following my announcement of 1February where I explained our approach to gamebird release on Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and their buffer zones for 2024.

Firstly, I do recognise the challenge and pressure that the sector has been under and very much value the rural sports community and the important benefits they bring to conservation. I also understand it is important that we give as much certainty as we can to businesses, and as such I wanted to let you know as soon as I could about the forthcoming licensing decision.

I can confirm that the national highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) risk level of transmission in wild birds remains at medium and we are working towards issuing a general licence for selected SPAs, with appropriate conditions attached, for gamebird release in 2024. I hope that this new general licence will provide greater freedom for those shoots operating on the selected SPAs to release birds without the need to apply for an individual licence.

My officials continue to work at pace to complete our assessments and are seeking statutory nature conservation advice to finalise the general licence. We therefore aim to publish the new general licence in mid-March at which point I will write to you again.

We have shared our draft individual licence application form and guidance with organisations that have an interest in gamebird releases, seeking feedback before they are published. In addition, we have shared proposed draft conditions that may be applied in the general licence, such as biosecurity measures that would help to reduce the risk of spreading HPAI from gamebirds to internationally protected wild birds throughout 2024. We will draw on stakeholders' expertise to ensure that our licensing process can be easily followed, and that our licences are practical to use whilst ensuring the internationally protected wild bird species and features present on the SPAs are shielded from the risk of transmission of HPAl from the released gamebirds.

I am also pleased to announce that once the general licence has been published, my officials will schedule calls with those that need to apply for an individual licence and those that can use the general licence to talk through the process and take questions.

If you have further queries about arrangements for the 2024 season, please contact my officials at GLEnquiries@defra.gov.uk.