Lobbying leads to General Licence extension for Wales

Wildfowlers asked for Canada geese not to be taken off the licences.

By Barnaby Dracup

Wednesday, 09 June 2010

Revisions to the Welsh General Licences have been delayed for six months and will not come into force until 1 January.

In Wales the General Licences will remain unchanged for the remainder of the year following a delay on the part of the Welsh Assembly that could have made pest control illegal.

Last year the Welsh Assembly ran a consultation on proposed changes to the Welsh General Licences.

The consultation findings should have been published in January and become law on 1 July.

However, the process was delayed and consequently the publication date was put forward to June.

After successful lobbying by BASC, which argued that one month would not be enough time for pest controllers to adapt to any proposed changes, the Assembly Government agreed that the new licences should not come into force until 1 January 2011.

This raised the issue of last year’s licences running out on 1 July and pest control effectively becoming illegal until January, which was resolved after the Welsh Assembly Government agreed to extend the existing licences for six months.

An announcement is expected by the end of June on what changes will be made come 1 January 2011.

BASC’s policy development manager, Conor O’Gorman, said: “In our discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government we argued that one month was not a reasonable amount of time for people to find out about changes in law and to plan ahead. As a result general licences will be renewed unchanged on 1 July and last for six months.”

The consultation period also saw the Welsh Assembly Government drop proposals to take Canada geese and gulls off the General Licences.

Both species remain on the licences despite calls from wildfowing clubs to take them off.

General Licences are renewed annually in Wales.

They are available to view at www.wales.gov.uk