Defra Secretary of State gives another update on 2024 gamebird licensing

A month after his last letter to the shooting community, Defra Secretary of State, The Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, has given another update on Defra’s approach to licensing the release of gamebirds this year. Disappointingly, this latest update did not contain the all-important final details of pheasant and red-legged partridge release licensing, which are time critical as we rapidly approach the point at which eggs go into incubators. These final details had previously been expected to be released by the end of February, with Defra even having the advantage of a leap day, however, the Secretary of State has now indicated that “mid-March” is the new target publishing date. Serious concerns will be raised if this timeline is also missed. 

Also in the letter, which can be read in full here, is a more concrete indication that many Special Protection Areas (SPAs), which were all subject to individual licensing in 2023, will this year be covered by a new general licence. How many SPAs will be included in such a general licence is currently unknown, but it is understood to be a majority. The Countryside Alliance along with other shooting organisations has been working closely with Defra to ensure that the upcoming changes to gamebird release licensing are as workable and timely as possible. 

The Secretary of State confirmed that there has been no change in the official risk level for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which remains at ‘medium’. The Alliance has encouraged the constant monitoring of this by  the Chief Scientific Adviser, and should any lowering in risk level be warranted, then the implications of such a lowering be implemented quickly. 

Whilst many will be understandably frustrated that this year’s licensing approach has not yet been published, it must still be remarked that this is an improvement on last year’s fiasco. With what is expected to be a  mid-March announcement from the Secretary of State, it is hoped that the shooting community will have no surprise announcements sprung upon them at the eleventh hour, like the removal of all SPAs from GL43 in 2023. 

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