Read on Twitter
Sorry it has taken me a while to get to this, but I would like to correct some inaccurate reporting from three newspapers from Friday.
On Friday Wild Justice announced it was withdrawing its legal challenge to Gamebird releasing on and around protected sites in England 1/14
On Friday Wild Justice announced it was withdrawing its legal challenge to Gamebird releasing on and around protected sites in England 1/14
It made this decision because on the 22nd of October it received a letter from DEFRA saying that it had reviewed the effects of gamebird releases on protected sites, found that they were limited to 500 metres from the point of release and that the Government would introduce 2/14
a general licence to cover releases. Wild Justice had originally sought to make anyone making releases within 5 kms of a protected site conduct assessment and apply for a licence. An onerous and expensive task intended to deter them from making the release. However the 3/14
evidence and the proposed general licence were more than WJ could argue with so they withdrew their action.
Facing yet another embarrassing and expensive defeat the WJ spin machine went into overdrive and a number of journalists appear to have been lied to. 4/14
Facing yet another embarrassing and expensive defeat the WJ spin machine went into overdrive and a number of journalists appear to have been lied to. 4/14
In the Guardian the excellent @patrick_barkham Wrote that "Pheasants and partridges are to be classified alongside Japanese knotweed and grey squirrels as species that imperil native wildlife, the government has announced. 5/14
People with shooting interests in England will have to apply for a licence to release the non-native birds near nature reserves"
I'm not even sure which piece of law is being referred to here. The closest I know of are schedules 9-9b of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 6/14
I'm not even sure which piece of law is being referred to here. The closest I know of are schedules 9-9b of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 6/14
I can find no proposal from the government to add Pheasants or partridges to these schedules
There will also be no need apply for the licence. It is a general licence, meaning anyone can act under it without fee or application as long as they follow its conditions. 7/14
There will also be no need apply for the licence. It is a general licence, meaning anyone can act under it without fee or application as long as they follow its conditions. 7/14
The @Telegraph got it even more wrong with the claims that "The amount of birds released each year is likely to be dramatically reduced, with officials at Natural England in charge of licencing game bird releases." 8/14
and that "the Government announced it would ban most releases within 500 metres of SPAs, and all other game birds will only be allowed to be released subject to licence."
There is NO reason to think that the number of birds released will be reduced. Even WJ only claim that 9/14
There is NO reason to think that the number of birds released will be reduced. Even WJ only claim that 9/14
this will affect 25% of shoots which I suspect is a huge overestimate and most shoots affected will have no need to reduce release numbers.
The government has also categorially NOT banned releases with 500 metres of SPAs (or SACS/ SSIs). That is not true and there are no 10/14
The government has also categorially NOT banned releases with 500 metres of SPAs (or SACS/ SSIs). That is not true and there are no 10/14
plans that "all other game birds will only be allowed to be released subject to licence." That is simply, categorially and totally wrong.
What has happened is that the government has said that if you want to release birds on or within 500 metres of an SAC, SPA or SSSI you 11/14
What has happened is that the government has said that if you want to release birds on or within 500 metres of an SAC, SPA or SSSI you 11/14
will have to abide by a general licence or you CAN if you wish apply for licence with bespoke conditions. That's it. No application, no ban, no change on legal status. Those things are lies and spin. If you want to check what I am saying the DEFRA announcement is below 12/14
The fact is that almost nothing will change for the vast majority of shoots. Some MAY need to SLIGHTLY reduce the numbers of birds released into specific pens. That's all.
The rest is lies and spin. Promoted to conceal another expensive defeat for wild Justice. 14/14
The rest is lies and spin. Promoted to conceal another expensive defeat for wild Justice. 14/14
PS I was going to do the Mail too but 14 tweets is long enough.
