The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published three new general licences for wild bird control which will come into effect in England on January 1, 2021.
The licences published are:
- Conservation licence GL40 (currently GL34)
- Public health and safety licence GL41 (currently GL35)
- Serious damage licence GL42 (currently GL36)
Pest professionals will typically be using the GL41 for public health and safety.
In a statement, Defra told the British Pest Control Association: “These licences are the result of nearly 18 months of work, including analysis of over 4,000 responses to our user survey, and review of the scientific evidence.
“You have actively participated in meetings and workshops, this has been a valuable part of the process, thank you.”
Notable features for the licences
- The detail of conditions for trapping and protected sites have not yet been published;
- Recording actions taken under the licence are recommended;
- You must make reasonable endeavours to use lawful methods of non-lethal control before acting under this licence to kill or take feral pigeon or jackdaw (unless measures are “not practical, not effective, or disproportionate”).