GWCT News Blog

Read our latest advice including what is and isn't permitted during the lockdown period.

The new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMs), which is to replace Countryside Stewardship and the Basic Payment Scheme, is currently being designed through various tests around the country, commissioned by Defra.

Last week the campaign group Wild Justice had to withdraw its legal action in relation to gamebird releases because Defra had found a legal solution to their concerns. However, Wild Justice then decided to describe this as a “victory” and, luckily for them, journalists at the Guardian, Telegraph, Times and the Mail appear not to have checked what Defra had actually said here.

Following news of an outbreak in Kent yesterday, a second case of avian influenza has been confirmed. There are some simple measures that all poultry and gamebird keepers, whether they are running a large commercial farm, keeping a few hens in their back garden, or rearing game birds, should take to protect their birds against the threat of avian flu.

It would appear the legal team at Defra are the real winners – they have avoided costly legal action and significant disruption to those providing the habitat that game management delivers.

With the lead ban becoming more and more apparent, W Horton & Sons have been working hard on a solution to the problem imposed on so many shots who own guns that are not steel proofed.

Without our usual fundraising activity, we are facing a £1.4m shortfall in our usual income across the year. Thankfully, you, our members and supporters, give us hope. We have been overwhelmed by your generosity at a difficult time for everyone.

GWCT is pleased to have helped provide scientific evidence to inform this issue, which shows that any negative impacts from game bird releasing are very localised to the release site, with positive impacts on habitats and other wildlife at both the local and landscape scale.