Capt Christopher Jones Posted June 10, 2019 Report Share Posted June 10, 2019 Latest General Licences update Defra is continuing to draft new general licences for England. There is no timeline on when the new general licences will be issued and, on Friday 7 June, Defra announced that it will be “setting out next steps shortly”. Defra ministers were due to appear before a government inquiry on general licences on Tuesday 11 June, but this has been postponed at the request of the Secretary of State. We appreciate how frustrating these ongoing delays are for everyone. BASC and other organisations are working hard to ensure progress is being made towards a workable interim licensing system until a wider review takes place. The current legal options for bird pest control in England are outlined below: Woodpigeon You can shoot woodpigeon to prevent serious damage to crops under general licence GL31. You do not need to apply for this licence. You can sell any woodpigeon that you shoot. Click here for woodpigeon general licence GL31. Carrion Crow You can shoot and trap carrion crows to prevent serious damage to livestock under general licence GL26. You do not need to apply for this licence. This general licence allows the use of Larsen traps and other cage traps to catch carrion crows. Click here for carrion crow general licence GL26. Canada Goose You can shoot Canada geese to preserve public health and safety under general licence GL28. You do not need to apply for this licence. Click here for Canada goose general licence GL28. For other bird pest control If the above general licences do not cover your circumstances to kill or take woodpigeon, carrion crow or Canada goose, you need to apply for an individual licence from Natural England. If you need to kill or take birds such as magpie, feral pigeon, collared dove, jackdaw, jay, rook, lesser black-backed gull or herring gull in England, you need to apply for an individual licence from Natural England. Click here to apply for an individual licence from Natural England. Larsen traps and other cage traps The only circumstance in which you can use Larsen traps, or other cage traps, is to catch carrion crows to prevent serious damage to livestock under general licence GL26 (see above). If you need to use a cage trap to catch carrion crows for other reasons, or to trap other birds such as magpies, you need to apply for an individual licence from Natural England. Click here to apply for an individual licence from Natural England. Latest updates We will continue to provide definitive and up-to-date information in the dedicated area of our website. Click here for the latest information on general licences in England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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