Natural England to be stripped of responsibility for shooting licences, according to Tory MPs who raised issue with Michael Gove

Michael Gove may strip Natural England of its licencing power after a fiasco which left farmers, gamekeepers and conservationists from being able to shoot 'pest' birds.

The Telegraph understands that this is one of the options under consideration by the environment secretary after angered MPs met with him on Wednesday night.

The environment secretary has been under pressure to sanction the regulator after Wild Justice, a group led by BBC presenter Chris Packham, was able to launch a successful legal campaign against the general licences, which allowed people to shoot 'pest' birds without applying for an individual licence.

Natural England abruptly revoked these general licences before the case went to court, to the shock of rural bodies and MPs with countryside constituencies. This left a gap, which is expected to last weeks, between the old, revoked licences and the new ones, which are being hurriedly drafted.

Farmers have complained that their crops have been left without protection against pigeons, and their lambs are at risk of having their eyes pecked out by crows.


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/05/02/natural-england-stripped-responsibility-shooting-licences-according/