Canadas on general licence in England from 1st March.
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Changes to general licences in England from 1st March.

23rd February 2005
immediate release.

From the 1st March 2005, there will be changes to the general licences which permit the control of certain species of birds in England. Sparrows and starlings will be removed from general licence, whilst Canada geese will be added. The provision for Canada geese will apply only in the close season for this species. Bird pest control otherwise remains mostly unchanged but some alterations will be made to the conditions. These are largely technical and are designed to ensure that the general licences are seen to fully meet the requirements of European law.

John Swift, BASC chief executive, said ¡§These changes follow considerable discussion in Europe and consultation in England. They are designed to ensure that English general licence arrangements continue to comply with the European laws which permit necessary pest control here at home¡¨.

From March 1st it will become possible to control Canada geese outside the main shooting season for the purposes stated on the general licence: ¡§for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease and for preventing serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber, fisheries or inland waters¡¨ and ¡§for the purpose of preserving public health and safety¡¨. It will not be necessary for individuals to apply for special local licences or to hold copies of the general licences. Anyone shooting listed pest species under general licence must still comply with the relevant terms and conditions.

Sporting shooting alone is not a reason for control according to the conditions. If challenged, the individual would have to show that any shooting of Canada geese or other species was carried out in accordance with the terms of the appropriate general licence.

Cage traps, such as the commonly used Larsen live-catch trap will have to be inspected at least once every 24 hours, and only crow, jackdaw, jay, magpie and rook may be used as decoy birds.

Tim Russell, director of conservation at BASC said ¡§Defra has steered a sensible course through a comprehensive review and appears to have simplified and streamlined the system. Sparrows and starlings have been removed for conservation reasons, but may still be controlled where they pose a problem and where a specific licence has been applied for and granted. Canada geese cause problems for agriculture and public health and their addition to the general licence system is a rational move. We will monitor the effectiveness and consequences of the changes and offer advice to those who experience problems. We will be particularly alert to instances of inappropriate interpretation and application of the licence terms. Where they occur we will take them up robustly with the appropriate authority.¡¨


It is considered likely that the relevant authorities in Scotland and Wales will introduce similar changes later this year.

Further advice can be obtained from BASC on 01244 573000 or via the BASC website www.basc.org.uk

The general licences can be viewed at www.defra.gov.uk/corporat.../index.htm


ENDS

Notes to editors:


- All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. However the Act permits the issue of licences to control protected species of birds for specific purposes, for example, preventing damage to crops, preserving public health and safety or preserving air safety.
- General licences permit ¡§authorised¡¨ people to carry out the actions permitted by them. Authorised people are generally taken to be landowners, their employees, or people acting with their permission.
- The purpose of a general licence is to cover situations where Defra is satisfied that "there is no other satisfactory solution and that any "authorised" person would find applying for an individual licence an overly burdensome and bureaucratic task to permit an action that would be routinely approved.¨
- General licences are issued on an annual basis.


For more information call the BASC press office on 01244 573031

All I did was throw a hand full of bread mash toward my float, then all hell broke loose!



Can I take a shotgun with me now?

Tight Lines - leon

[ 23. February 2005, 05:34 PM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

Thats great news them Canadian Geese are so destructive on a fishery arnt they.......................... Do these idiots ever get out of their offices into the real world? :mad: :mad:

Mind you my bird identification isnt that good.Canadas? there those black things with a curved beak aint they?

Budgie,

When they arrive on waters in huge numbers, the amount of cr*p they put into the water is unbelievable, causing serious pollution, as well as ripping out all of the waterplants, spawn and all.

They can and do do serious damage.

Tight Lines - leon

"serious damage" so what do Cormmorants do then Leon? Im obviously preaching to the converted here but that was really my point.

I've put up a Poll to make it more simple (and anonymous) to comment.

I hope as many anglers as possible will vote so that the people of influence have something to consider.

Budgie - dunno about the UK but in the US when we get a huge influx of those things, the are more of a nuisance on land than on water since they not only leave lots of slick spots from dung but often attack people. We've had some children seriously injured and some adults bruised and battered to an extent.

Very, very tasty, I kid you not!!

I dissagree Peter. Canada geese were brought over here for ornamental purposes I believe, not for eating. Since then, they have overtaken our native species, which sadly were over shot and otherwise taken for the table, even when immature. Also, numbers have declined, due to the amount of Canada Geese, invading the same estuaries etc.

Now, perhaps if we can reduce the number of Canadas around, our native species, such as Pink Foot, Greylag etc, can re-establish to the once mighty flocks there once were. Unfortunately, there are many, many cross breeds around, caused by the laws forbidding shooting of Canada geese (and many other "Ornamental" species), It's possible that our native species may have lost it's true gene pool.

It's similar to the crucian carp scenario.

How long does it have to take, before an alien species, such as Canada Geese, Re-introduced foreign bred Otters, Beavers (possibly to be re-introduced soon) and other species, go from being a rarity (inland cormorants were rare once), to a pest? Very quick with fish, very slow with birds and mammals.

Odd.