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Directly quoted from Fieldsports News:

April 23, 2019

The Government has bowed to Chris Packham and is banning most pigeon, crow, gull and Canada goose shooting.

Natural England – the Government agency responsible – is “revoking three general licences for controlling certain wild birds as of Thursday 25 April 2019,” says the Government in a statement. It adds: “These licences (GL 04/05/06) cover 16 species of birds including several members of the crow family, Canada goose, some gulls and pigeons.”

Chris Packham crowdfunded and launched a legal challenge called Wild Justice to the way the licences are issued, arguing that shooters are not acting lawfully. Government lawyers appear to have folded and let Packham have his way.

The three licences subject to the legal challenge cover 16 bird species, including several members of the crow family (crows, magpies, rooks, jackdaws and jays), feral and wood pigeon and number of invasive non-native species (such as Canada goose).

The specific licences:

General licence GL04: To kill or take certain species of wild birds to prevent serious damage or disease
General licence GL05: To kill or take certain species of wild birds to preserve public health or public safety
General licence GL06: To kill or take certain species of wild birds to conserve wild birds or flora or fauna

They do not include licences to protect crops.

Taken by surprise by the decision, Natural England says it is “working at pace to put in place over the next few weeks alternative measures to allow lawful control of these bird species to continue where necessary”.

In the meantime, and until new licences are issued, anyone needing to control one of 16 bird species where there is no reasonable non-lethal alternative will need to apply for an individual licence in the same way they apply for licences to control birds such as cormorants and ravens. These licences take weeks to obtain and are seldom given out – though Natural England reassures shooters: “If people need to take action in the meantime they will need to apply for an individual licence, using a simplified process which will be available on gov.uk from 25 April.”

Natural England’s interim chief executive Marian Spain says: “We recognise this change will cause disruption for some people, but we are working hard to ensure it is kept to a minimum.

“We will bring forward interim measures as quickly as possible as the first stage of our planned review of the licences. We want to make sure our licensing system is robust and proportionate, taking into account the needs of wildlife and people.”

Shooters across the UK have reacted angrily.
Reaction from viewers on Fieldsports News’ Facebook page

General licences were introduced in the 1980s as a government fudge to allow the legal control of pest bird species, after the government accidentally banned all bird shooting when it signed up to the 1979 EC Birds Directive. They allow the ban to stay but grant ‘general’ licences to all UK citizens with permission to shoot pest birds. The Tory government of the day told shooters that the licences would be renewed automatically every year and nothing would change. In the early 2000s, the Labour government looked at revoking them as a back-door to banning birdshooting – but it tracked back from that position. Now BBC presenter and animal rights activist Chris Packham has succeeded where anti-shooting politicians failed and has forced a ban with a simple legal letter.

Natural England says it is working on new licences to cover the three general licences that the Government lawyers have revoked. Natural England says it is “undertaking new licensing assessments to support lethal control of certain birds in defined situations, such as to prevent serious damage to livestock from carrion crow and to preserve public health and safety from the impacts of feral pigeons. It intends to start issuing these licences on gov.uk from the week commencing 29 April when more details will be available.”

https://www.fieldsportschannel.tv/gener ... 7pvSt8YBjc

I bet he is skipping

He is doing more harm than good, he is just too high up his own arse to realise.

My hate for that man has doubled in seconds, he is becoming dangerous

So much for the the great mythical British trait, tolerance.

Another astounding victory for BASC, NOT.

Pete

Crop protection is the key word...

Is shooting an effective way to control pests over crops? Can anyone provide concrete evidence for this based on solid studies?

I mean it might be fun and generate delicious pigeons but is it actually effective? Not “well my mate who’s a farmer says” effective but “a three year double blind study finds that” effective.

Anyone?

I hope Mr Packham has contemplated the long term consequences of his ‘personal triumph’, of course he has, has he ?
When you have seen the result of what a Carrion Crow is capable of inflicting on new born lambs, Jackdaws working the hedgerows robbing songbirds of eggs and young, Wood Pidgeon devastating food crops! Long term he should have made forecasts, ‘surely’ he has !!!

safetyfirst wrote:Is shooting an effective way to control pests over crops? Can anyone provide concrete evidence for this based on solid studies?

I mean it might be fun and generate delicious pigeons but is it actually effective? Not “well my mate who’s a farmer says” effective but “a three year double blind study finds that” effective.

Anyone?

I think before you "ban" a pest control method, you really ought to have an effective replacement waiting in the wings, I suspect that is not the case here ?