Chaos caused by general licence debacle continues

Hundreds of shoots are facing an uncertain future as a number of licences are being turned down due to threats of avian influenza

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As ST reported last week (News, 28 June), shoots across the country have been struggling to deal with the implications of the Government’s 11th-hour changes to general licence 43, covering the release of game birds in or around Special Protection Areas (SPAs).

The licence was suddenly withdrawn and in its place there was a requirement for shoots within 500m of a European-designated SPA to apply for a new, individual licence before releasing. ST now understands that those licence applications are often being declined on the grounds that avian influenza is a risk in these areas.