Blogs

The inaugural Agriculture Act to emerge from Wales has officially received Royal Assent. While the national headlines of the Act are about the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), those in the gamekeeping and conservation communities have been dealt a huge blow with the banning of all snares, including the GWCT-devised humane cable restraint.

GWCT are advising all shoots planning to release gamebirds on or within 500m of a Special Protection Area this summer to apply for a licence without delay. 

Starting July next year, the legal authorisation for using bromadiolone and difenacoum, the only two second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) currently allowed in open areas and waste dumps, will be withdrawn.

The deadline for consultation responses is Tuesday, 20th June. It is imperative that those involved in game management and shooting, in whatever capacity and in any location in the UK respond to this consultation.

Aim to Sustain including GWCT as scientific advisors to the partnership, has written to the Secretary of State Thérèse Coffey calling for an urgent review of GL43, the gamebird releasing General Licence for protected sites and their buffers.

Further to yesterday’s blog, Defra has now published GL43, the general licence that permits the release of gamebirds on or within a 500m buffer zone of certain protected sites in England.

Boots and sunnies on, sandwiches packed, clipboards at the ready… GWCT’s Advisors are out and about and busier than ever with biodiversity audits!

GWCT, like other rural conservation organisations has called for an urgent response from Defra over its proposal to make a major change to GL43 – the interim general licence which covers gamebird release on or within 500m of European Protected Sites in England.

In conservation management, Professor John Lawton advised conservation efforts should be ‘bigger, better and more joined up’, and that is exactly what is needed when it comes to American Mink control in the UK.

Help the industry defend and maintain sustainable practises by answering some questions about your approach to controlling rats and at the same time grab a chance of winning a £250 cash prize.