GUN TRADE NEWS
BRITAIN’S ONLY SHOOTING INDUSTRY PUBLICATION
ISSUE 74 FEBRUARY 2022
AU T U M N W I N T E R 2 2 CO L L EC T I O N AVA I L A B L E T O V I E W N O W
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NEW GENERAL LICENCES APPROVED Government issues two-year licences for protection of wildlife and game birds in England SOME wild birds have been returned to the new general licenses list issued in January in order to protect game birds bred for shooting in England, the government has ruled, in an update to guidance on general shooting licences. General licences give broad permissions to shoot certain species of wild birds to protect livestock, aid conservation, and preserve health and public safety The new licences have been issued for two years rather than one, with officials saying this is to provide “stability and certainty” to shooters.
General licences are permissive licences, meaning users do not need to apply for them but must comply with their terms and conditions when undertaking licensed acts. There has been considerable debate over whether pheasants, partridges and grouse should count as livestock, as they are wild birds, which raises the question of whether predators can be shot in order to protect them. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has released a new definition of
2022—2023 GENERAL LICENCES FOR ENGLAND PERMITTED TARGET SPECIES FOR WHICH ACTION IS TO BE TAKEN
*List of endangered wild birds: birds-of-conservation-concern-4-leaflet.pdf (bto.org) ** Only to conserve woodland birds of conservation concern: List of woodland birds of conservation concern - GOV.UK (gov.uk)
GL40 – TO CONSERVE WILD BIRDS, FLORA AND FAUNA OF CONSERVATION CONCERN Conserving endangered wild birds*
Conserving Flora
Conserving Fauna
A Defra spokesperson said the change was made after gamekeepers asked for more clarity about whether game birds counted as livestock. The RSPB’s head of site conservation policy, Kate Jennings, said: “If this update to the livestock general licence goes beyond a reclassification of terminology and implies that it will lead to an increase in the killing of wild birds to protect game bird interests, then, given the nature and climate emergency we find ourselves in, this would be a massive backward step for nature conservation in this country.” GTN
“livestock” to include some of these birds, to give explicit permission to shoot carrion crows, jackdaws, magpies and rooks. The new definition reads: “Livestock is as defined in section 27(1) of the 1981 [Wildlife and Countryside] Act. For the purpose of this licence, this expression also includes game birds kept in an enclosure or which are free roaming but remain significantly dependent on the provision of food, water or shelter by a keeper for their survival. This does not include supplementary feeding.”
GL41 – FOR PUBLIC HEALTH OR SAFETY Slips and falls
Spread of human disease
GL42 – TO PREVENT SERIOUS DAMAGE
Issue with birds nesting
Livestock – direct attack
Livestock – foodstuffs and spread of disease
Crops, fruit & vegetables
Fisheries
Inland waters
Canada Goose
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Carrion Crow
Y
N
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
N
N
Egyptian Goose
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
N
N
Feral Pigeon
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
N
N
Indian House Crow
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
N
N
Jackdaw
N
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
Jay Y**
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Magpie
Y
N
N
N
N
N
Y
N
N
N
N
Monk Parakeet
Y
N
N
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
Ring-necked Parakeet
Y
N
Y
N
N
N
N
N
Y
N
N
Rook
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
N
N
Sacred Ibis
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Woodpigeon
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
N
N
BREXIT PAPERWORK NOW EVEN MORE ONEROUS From 1 January 2022, new customs arrangements have been introduced on imports from the EU. Companies can longer delay making import customs declarations for EU goods and will instead have to make declarations and pay relevant tariffs at the point of import. Notice of imports of food, drink and products of animal origin must also be given in advance. In a poll of nearly 600 business leaders by the Institute of Directors, 30% of relevant businesses described themselves as “not at all prepared” for these changes. Kitty Ussher, Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors, said: “Significant changes to our customs arrangements have been introduced, for which a large portion of businesses are either unprepared or simply unaware. This will exacerbate supply chain problems, leading to further congestion at ports and extra costs from accidental non-compliance for many businesses.” Simon West of the Gun Trade Association moved to play down any fears, telling GTN: “The new import arrangements add a little further friction to what the gun trade has had to cope with over the last year. We are still working on some issues on end user certificates for some products but most of all we must address the need to regenerate easy transport solutions. Restoring appetite to ship guns across the channel, in both directions, is a priority.”
Some gun trade industry events may be immediately impacted, however. Amanda Barnes, Chief Executive of media and events business Faversham House, said the changes were already causing problems for her exhibitors. “Our issue with import controls is more from the perspective of how it is affecting our overseas and UK exhibitors who are trying to bring pieces of
equipment and machinery into the UK to exhibit at our shows,” she explained. “There is confusion, and the costs of temporarily importing goods to show at exhibitions has become so prohibitive that some of our exhibitors are downsizing their stands or trying to cancel. The paperwork, too, is putting them off. I think it will be a real barrier to trade in the short term at least.” GTN
INSIDE THIS ISSUE…
BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW PREVIEW Keep on banging on! – Page 8 –
GBS AWARDS 2022
HI-VIS INVASION?
Celebrating our industry innovators
Is it time to stock some hi-vis wear?
– Page 16 –
– Page 27 –
