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‘General Licences’ enable people to carry out activities affecting bird species that would be unlawful under wildlife legislation but which are deemed necessary in order to prevent public health and safety problems, serious damage to crops or disruption to native wildlife. Reviews of General Licences are carried out periodically to ensure that the licences address emerging circumstances and conservation issues. The latest review ensures that the licence framework remains up to date and is able to target the increasing impact of non-native species - recognised as a major global conservation problem.

Among the changes announced today, Natural England confirmed that:

• Several non-native bird species that breed in the wild - including monk parakeets, ring-necked parakeets, Canada geese and Egyptian geese - will be added to licences so their numbers can be controlled

• Two native gull species – the herring gull and the greater black-backed gull - will be removed from some licences due to conservation concerns about their population numbers

Announcing the decisions, Natural England Chief Executive Helen Phillips, said: “The changes we will be making in the New Year reflect our commitment to simplify the regulation of licensed activities while ensuring that our native wildlife is properly protected. Removing certain bird species from licences in order to address concerns about their declining numbers, and adding emerging problem species are absolutely vital to this goal.

“A key objective of the consultation has been to align general licences with wider national and international strategies to control exotic and non-native species. Non-native species are a major threat to global biodiversity and it is important that licences can operate as an effective tool in helping to tackle the problem”.

Helen Phillips concluded: “Licences are an important tool, used by thousands of people to responsibly manage wildlife and the changes we are making will ensure that licences can be effectively targeted at current conservation challenges and can operate without superfluous bureaucracy. We are grateful to the numerous organisations and individuals who contributed to the wide-ranging consultation that lies behind the changes we are announcing today.”

Summary of Decisions and Changes to be implemented in 2010

1. Ring-necked, monk parakeets, Canada geese and Egyptian geese will be added to the licence for conserving wild birds.

2. Ring-necked and monk parakeet will be added to the licence for preventing serious damage to crops.

3. Monk parakeet will be added to the licence for preserving public health or public safety.

4. Great black-backed gull will, in future, only be listed on the air safety licence, while the Herring Gull will be listed on the air safety licence and, for egg and nest destruction only, on the public health and public safety licence.

5. The trapping and release of house sparrow, starling, robin and blackbird will be included on a new public health and public safety licence available to food production and handling premises.

6. Licences will include additional guidance referring statutory bodies to their obligations in respect to protected sites.

7. The licensing regime will operate in line with the GB Non-native Species Framework Strategy, which will include adopting a presumption to support or facilitate the control of non-native species.

8. Licences for the sale of live and dead birds will be consolidated so that there is only one licence each. Ringing requirements will remain unchanged at present.

9. We have reduced the number of species for which individual sales licences must be sought. We have concluded that, in most cases, simply regulating sales of legally held captive-bred specimens will not help us address the problems caused by invasive non-native species.

10. We have decided against changing the rules on sales of dead barnacle goose and white-fronted goose (Greenland race): individual licences will continue to be needed.

11. Natural England will provide explicit guidance on what constitutes ‘documentary evidence’ in respect to sales of wild birds.

12. A number of measures are proposed to improve user awareness of terms and conditions of licences, and;

13. In response to suggestions from stakeholders a number of additional changes are to be made to the licences now, while other suggestions merit consideration in a future review of licences.

Natural England has published a summary of the responses together with its decisions. Draft versions of the revised licences, which will come into force on 1 January 2010, have been published on the Natural England website to allow licence users time to familiarise themselves with the changes.

Natural England launched its public consultation on proposals for changes to the General Licences in December 2008, and by the end of the consultation in March 2009 had received a total of 115 written consultation responses.

View the consultation documents

Notes to Editors:

1. General Licences

• The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is the principal piece of legislation covering the conservation and protection of birds, other animals and plants. Section 16 of the Act allows licences to be issued that put aside the protection given to species where this is suitably justified. Natural England is a licensing authority under the Act, and is also authorised by the Secretary of State to issue licences on his or her behalf.

• In some situations Natural England issues a General Licence instead of requiring people to apply for a personal licence. General Licences allow activities affecting protected species that would otherwise be unlawful, but which are justified in certain circumstances, for example, to protect public health or safety.

• General licences are suitable for activities that pose a low risk for species conservation and where applying for a personal licence on a case by case would be an overly burdensome and bureaucratic task. Each general licence will clearly state who is eligible to use the licence and what terms and conditions apply.

• Although major changes to General Licences occur infrequently, reviews for minor changes take place annually, prior to Licences being re-issued at the beginning of January each year. It’s important, therefore, to read the new version of any Licence you use to stay abreast of the minor changes that are being made. • A full list of General Licences can be found on the Natural England website.

• Further information on general licences, including a full catalogue of current licences, and on Natural England’s wider licensing role is available on the licensing pages of the Natural England website.

2. Natural England Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.

3. For further information contact:
The National Press Office on 0845 603 9953, press@naturalengland.org.uk, out of hours 07970 098005.