Natural Resources Wales delays licensing plans

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has announced that it has halted plans to licence the release of gamebirds for the 2024/25 shooting season.

This change follows a response from 42,000 people to a public consultation that proposed banning the release of pheasants and redlegs as early as next year.

The delay has been implemented to ensure that NRW can properly consider the consultation responses and engage with stakeholders, as well as honouring its commitment to give shoots in Wales sufficient time to prepare for any changes. NRW has stated it will be providing advice to the Welsh government and the minister for climate change by 31 October 2023.

BASC Wales director Steve Griffiths said: “NRW’s decision to delay its advice for a year is a sensible and pragmatic approach, but we still firmly believe that regulation is unnecessary.”

Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner said: “The Welsh government has a particular prejudice against shooting. Shooting has huge environmental, social and economic benefits for rural communities and our advice to ministers would be to drop the proposal completely or face a bitter fight with The delay will allow NRW to engage with stakeholders properly countryside.”