AS OF today – Friday June 14 –England has three new general licences for the killing or taking of wild birds.

The new licences will allow users to control certain species of wild birds in order to:

• conserve wild birds and flora or fauna (WML GL34);

• preserve public health or public safety (WML GL35);

• prevent serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber, fisheries or inland waters (WML GL36).

Last month, England's previous General Licences were abruptly withdrawn by Natural England under threat of legal action from a group of high profile conservationists, including BBC presenter Chris Packham.

The decision to issue the new licences follows analysis of information provided by a Defra 'evidence-gathering exercise', which allowed all concerned parties to explain the impact that the withdrawal of the old licences – GL04, 05 and 06 – had on the management of wild birds. No less than 4000 responses were submitted, and demonstrated a range of impacts that individuals and groups experienced as a result of not being able to shoot some problem species, including crow attacks on lambs and ewes during lambing, the risk of predation for eggs and fledglings of birds of conservation concern, and public health issues caused by pigeons in urban areas.

The three new general licences cover species and specified purposes that Defra considers appropriate in light of the information gathered through that exercise and other relevant evidence, including statutory advice from Natural England. At this stage, the new licences will not apply to European protected sites.

The new licences will be valid until February 29, 2020. In the meantime, Defra will lead a review of the longer-term general licensing arrangements, and intends to launch an initial public consultation by the end of the summer, with further details to follow.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “I recognise the scale of interest and concern that was generated by Natural England’s decision to revoke three general licences and I am grateful to those thousands of individuals and groups who shared their experiences in responding to the call for evidence.

“The three new general licences announced today seek to minimise some of the negative impacts that the withdrawal of the previous licences had. But this is a temporary way forward and does not cover European protected sites, where the law is more complicated and we continue to engage with stakeholders.

“We will shortly set out details of a wider review of general licences, to provide a long term licensing solution which balances the needs of users and wildlife.”

Natural England’s chair, Tony Juniper CBE, said: “I welcome the Environment Secretary’s announcement, which follows a great deal of work between Defra and Natural England to tackle an exceptionally complex situation.

“I am immensely grateful for the efforts of my colleagues at Natural England in putting in place alternatives for users affected by the recent changes to general licences. Our aim has always been to ensure that there is a robust licensing system in place which takes into account the needs of people and wildlife. We look forward to working closely with Defra on a review of general licences later this year to help achieve this.”

Of the new licences, GL34 allows users to kill or take certain species of wild birds to conserve wild birds and flora or fauna. This covers carrion crow, jackdaw, jay, magpie, rook, Canada goose, Egyptian goose, monk parakeet, ring-necked parakeet, sacred ibis and Indian house-crow.

GL35 allows users to kill or take certain species of wild birds to preserve public health or public safety, covering carrion crow, jackdaw, magpie, feral pigeon, rook, Canada goose and monk parakeet.

Gl36 allows users to kill or take certain species of wild birds to prevent serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber, fisheries or inland waters, and covers carrion crow, jackdaw, magpie, feral pigeon, rook, woodpigeon, Canada goose, Egyptian goose, monk parakeet and ring-necked parakeet.

In relation to gulls, users can continue to apply to Natural England for an individual licence for control of herring gulls, and now for lesser black-backed gulls. Due to their poorer conservation status, these species have not been included in the new general licences. In terms of control of nests and eggs, their breeding season for this year is largely complete, so Natural England is developing a new class licence for these species to be ready in good time for next year’s breeding season.