NFU Cymru Rural Affairs Board Chairman Hedd Pugh said: “NFU Cymru is pleased that the High Court has ruled that the general licences to control wild birds issued by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are lawful, following a challenge by Wild Justice.
“The NFU legal team intervened in this case as it was concerned about the way in which Wild Justice had interpreted the law relating to the evidence required to enable NRW to issue general licences permitting the lethal control of certain species of wild birds for specific statutory purposes. We are pleased that the Court took the NFU’s points into consideration, confirming that NRW is entitled to assess the available relevant evidence and reach its own conclusions in relation to the issuing of general licences, provided that the assessment is rational.
“The ability to control wild birds for the protection of livestock and crops in certain circumstances is vital for farmers across Wales.”
Anyone seeking to control the bird species listed in the general licences is required by law to abide by the terms and conditions of the relevant licence(s). The general licences that apply in Wales in 2021 can be found on NRW’s website here.