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Gove to drop GL?


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41 minutes ago, Mighty Ruler said:

According to the Telegraph Gove is considering dropping the GL for Crows and Pigeons. Let’s hope it’s true.

I hope (as reported) Gove can inject some common sence into this total shambles, but I am always a pessimist when knee jerk statements are made by politicians to the media.

When under pressure and their lips move, they are invariably lying !

Edited by JJsDad
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16 minutes ago, JJsDad said:

I hope (as reported) Gove can inject some common sence into this total shambles, but I am always a pessimist when knee jerk statements are made by politicians to the media.

When under pressure and their lips move, they are invariably lying !

prob doing to regain confidence in lost voters during local elections

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48 minutes ago, panoma1 said:

If this news comes to pass.....a letter on behalf of genuine conservationists thanking Packham, Avery and Tingay for their input might be in order? :whistling:......

I absolutely agree, credit where credit is due!😁

7 minutes ago, wymberley said:

Question is, while we're still in the EU - and it must be said, with no clear indication as yet that we're going to get out of it - and as we signed up to the birds directive thingy, are we permitted to actually do this?

I sadly, think this is a valid question Wymberley. Its my view Packham could see the imminent leaving of the EU as a timeline, and rushed in with his challenge. Now of course, Brexit is dragging on and on, quite  predictably.  Packham  has incurred the wrath of a reasonable proportion of the nation, and like a five year old child, is bleating "It wasn't me!"

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Gove is no countryman, he is already allied to Packham and Wild Justice, Natural England is a Government Agency all of which indicates to me that he will not ditch the General Licence. I hope I am wrong on this matter.

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1 minute ago, JDog said:

Gove is no countryman, he is already allied to Packham and Wild Justice, Natural England is a Government Agency all of which indicates to me that he will not ditch the General Licence. I hope I am wrong on this matter.

They (DEFRA NE) need to listen to facts not Twitter.... And the facts show the damage these species do even when controlled... 

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5 minutes ago, ShootingEgg said:

They (DEFRA NE) need to listen to facts not Twitter.... And the facts show the damage these species do even when controlled... 

Since when has the Government listened to facts when it has an alternative agenda? Since when has Packham, Wild Justice, Natural England, the RSPB etc relied on facts to get their own twisted logic across?

We are in an era of Twitter, social media, fake news whether we like it or not and those organisations which purport to represent pigeon and corvid shooters are a long way behind the game.

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10 minutes ago, JDog said:

Since when has the Government listened to facts when it has an alternative agenda? Since when has Packham, Wild Justice, Natural England, the RSPB etc relied on facts to get their own twisted logic across?

We are in an era of Twitter, social media, fake news whether we like it or not and those organisations which purport to represent pigeon and corvid shooters are a long way behind the game.

I know this, but I'm just stating what they need to do... 

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2 hours ago, JDog said:

Gove is no countryman, he is already allied to Packham and Wild Justice, Natural England is a Government Agency all of which indicates to me that he will not ditch the General Licence. I hope I am wrong on this matter.

Sadly i agree with this and being a sceptic think  this news could have been timed  to slow down the amount evidence submitted to DEFRA.

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The Daily Telegraph reported this morning that Defra Secretary of State, Michael Gove, is considering adding wood pigeons to the quarry list. This would make pigeons a ‘huntable species’ during the open season, and allow them to continue to be controlled during the close season through the General Licence system to prevent serious damage to crops and for other purposes.

The pigeon population has been increasing since the 1960s, with numbers now reaching over 5 million breeding pairs in the UK alone and it is something of a historic anomaly that the wood pigeon is not on the quarry list. In the UK the Canada goose already has both a hunting season and a general licence to allow its control at other times of the year. In many European countries the wood pigeon is similarly treated both as a quarry species and an agricultural pest to be managed.

If Defra does push ahead with this proposal it must be realistic about the open season. Part of the pigeon’s success is that it breeds almost all year round so it would be almost impossible to set a season when at least some pigeons were not breeding. As Defra notes in its new General Licence, however, the peak breeding season is from May to September and any season should be aimed at giving the pigeon some additional protection during that period.

The fact that Defra is considering this move, and that it took back control of the licensing process from Natural England last weekend, shows at least that Ministers have understood the full seriousness of the current situation. Whilst putting the wood pigeon on the General Licence would be a welcome move it will not, however, mend the fundamental flaws in the newly published wood pigeon General Licence that farmers will still need to rely on for much of the year. Nor would it address the real problems that landowners and conservationists are currently facing managing other species like crows and magpies thanks to Natural England’s chaotic handling of the licence issue.

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