A review of rules surrounding the shooting and trapping of birds in Wales has just been launched and shooters, keepers and landowners are being urged to make their views known.

Government-backed body, Natural Resources Wales, says the public consultation will look at its approach to the issues along with the destruction of eggs and nests but stresses it is open to various proposals.

All wild birds in Wales have legal protection. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has a number of powers under which it can authorise others to kill or take particular species of wild birds, eggs and nests for certain purposes, for example in order to prevent serious damage to crops, livestock or fisheries, to protect public health or safety or to conserve other species of wildlife.

The review will look at the different types of permission if offers and the processes used to deliver these activities to seek to make improvements.

The findings of the consultation will help shape NRW’s future approach to the permissions it grants shooting and trapping wild birds in Wales.

This is a broad review, which builds on work carried out in 2019 which resulted in some significant changes to some of general licences, including reducing the number of species which may be controlled and changing the conditions relating to their use within statutory protected sites in Wales but these were always an interim measure.

To read the consultation document and respond visit https://tinyurl.com/ys88vvvw