Natural England
Natural England issued a licence last night permitting the control of up to 10 buzzards to prevent serious damage to young pheasants.
The licence is time-limited with stringent conditions and is based on the law, policy and best available evidence. It follows rigorous assessment after other methods had been tried unsuccessfully over a 5-year period.
It is stipulated that the licence must be used in combination with non-lethal measures and only on buzzards in and immediately around the animal pens - not on passing birds. These conditions are designed to make the licensed activity both proportionate and effective and we will continue to work with the applicant to assess this.
Killing wild birds without a licence from Natural England is illegal.