Farmers warn of shooting licence ‘debacle’

FARMERS fear chaos as animal rights activists threaten to bring a new legal challenge to remove general shooting licences, which allow them to kill pest birds.

Last year, thousands of farmers complained after Chris Packham’s legal challenge resulted in the licences, which give landowners permission to shoot pigeons and crows, being suspended for weeks.

After a painstaking process, the licences were renewed. However, they expire at the end of February.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has not said whether it will renew them, but The Sunday Telegraph understands that it will.

Mark Avery, a former RSPB chief who co-founded the campaign group Wild Justice with the BBC Springwatch presenter, has claimed last year’s turmoil will look like a “walk in the park” if Defra renews the licences.

Mr Avery said: “If Defra rolls out the existing general licences for 2020, they risk facing a legal challenge from Wild Justice and a licensing debacle which will make last year’s look like a walk in the park.”

Shooting and farming groups last night warned businesses would be put at risk if Defra did not renew the licences.

A spokesman for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said: “People had their livelihoods and businesses put at significant risk by the actions of Wild Justice last year, yet Mark Avery dismisses the chaos and heartache as a mere ‘walk in the park’.

A Defra spokesman said: “We recognise the importance of providing a long term licensing solution which balances the needs of users and wildlife. The current general licences expire on February 29 and we will make a further announcement on licensing arrangements in due course.”