A NEW online course on humane crow control is being offered to game and wildlife managers.

Following changes to the General Licence system for controlling pest bird species which came in to effect from April, 1 this year, there is a need for gamekeepers, land managers and farmers to be kept fully briefed on how the laws on predator management have changed.

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust advisory team in Scotland has developed a new online course on corvid control to substitute for the Trust’s face-to-face courses that were planned across Scotland this spring.

GWCT senior advisor in Scotland, Hugo Straker, commented: “We are delighted to present this new initiative to game and wildlife managers across Scotland as it will help ensure that they practice humane corvid control in the confidence that they are operating within the new laws whilst demonstrating due diligence to high welfare standards.”

The two-hour course costs £72 inc VAT and consists of informative video presentations and slides, provides easy-to-read guides and concludes with a short multiple-choice assessment. Successful candidates will be awarded a GWCT Certificate of Accreditation which should represent an important document that helps demonstrate good due diligence in today’s era of 'vicarious liability'.

Those interested in enrolling on the course should visit https://www.gwctlearning.com/courses/

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