New Defra Gamebird Licensing Announcement

Defra have now provided details of the 2024 licensing arrangements for gamebird releasing and management on and near Special Protection Areas (SPAs).

As we had hoped, the vast majority of SPAs where gamebird releasing and management is undertaken are now back on a General Licence (GL45), with important additional conditions to reduce risks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

An Individual Licence can be applied for by game managers on or near SPAs for areas and activities not covered by the General Licence. Releasing and management in Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) continues to be licensed via GL43.

Dr Roger Draycott, Director of Advisory & Gamebird Policy at GWCT commented: ‘Although the licence has been published later than we had hoped for, Defra have pro-actively engaged with GWCT over recent months, reviewing the science and working with multiple stakeholder organisations to develop a licensing system that ensures that risks of HPAI are minimised whilst retaining the significant conservation benefits to designated species that sustainable game and wildlife management can deliver.’

For further information, please contact the GWCT advisory team: advisory@gwct.org.uk or 01425 651013.