Natural
England scraps general licence to kill ‘pest’ birds after launch of legal
challenge
Wed 24
Apr 2019 12.05 BSTLast modified on Thu 25 Apr
2019 01.00 BST
“Pest” bird species such as crows, woodpigeons
and jays can no longer be freely killed in England after the government’s
conservation watchdog revoked the licence permitting it.
The move
by Natural England came after a
challenge to the legality of the “general licence” by
a new environmental group, Wild Justice, created by conservationists Mark
Avery, Ruth Tingay and Chris Packham.
Natural
England now plans to introduce a legal system of licences to allow 16 species
of birds, including rooks, magpies, Canada geese and non-native parakeets, to
be controlled. In the meantime, anyone wanting to control these species must
apply for an individual licence, as they are required to if seeking to kill
other more protected bird species.
Wildlife
campaigners have greeted the decision, which came on Tony
Juniper’s first day as the new chair, with delight, but many farmers
– and some conservationists – were dismayed.
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