March

Yesterday marks a year since the announcement of the consultation on extending the area covered by the heather and grass burning regulations.

Defra has launched a consultation on its proposals to amend the list of birds that can be legally shot outside of a closed season. The proposals include extending the closed season for woodcock and snipe in England and Scotland and removing snipe from the quarry list in Wales.

The government has used the publication of the latest iteration of the Land Use Framework report to announce it is exploring “wider measures such as licensing and any associated conditions for recreational gamebird shooting and release”.

Following Deputy First Minister & Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs Huw Irranca‑Davies MS’ announcement of an independent review of the impacts of released gamebird management, the GWCT welcomes Welsh Government’s commitment to consider both scientific and practitioner evidence.