Gun Sports: Licensing

(asked on 17th January 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) necessity and (b) feasibility of Natural England granting licenses to shoot endangered native birds and wildlife.


Answered by
Thérèse Coffey Portrait
Thérèse Coffey
This question was answered on 24th January 2019

While the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides protection for all wild birds and our most threatened animal species, there are provisions within the legislation to issue licences to permit prohibited activities for specific purposes, for example: preserving air safety or public health; preventing serious damage to livestock; and conserving wild birds.

In determining any licence application Natural England takes account of the requirements of the legislation and the five policy tests set out by Defra. A successful applicant must clearly demonstrate, with supporting evidence, that:

  • actual damage or a problem is occurring;
  • the species is actually causing the damage or problem;
  • other reasonable and practical non-lethal alternatives have been considered and tried (such as scaring, trapping or proofing);
  • the action is proportionate; and
  • the conservation status of the species will not be negatively affected.
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