Gus Horsley
Well-known member
Hi
I recently got involved in a local incident where a roofer was taking it upon himself to shoot gulls (see "Gull Persecution" thread). During this time I e-mailed DEFRA to see what the criteria were for operating under a General License to cull birds. Imagine my surprise to discover that, in order to use a General License, you only need to download one from the internet, fill in your details, and off you go! Blam! You don't need to inform DEFRA that you have a licence, it's apparently valid for 5 years (although it's easy enough to just download a new one when you feel like it), and they have no idea how many are issued and who has one.
Call me daft, but isn't this taking the p*ss, or am I missing something? What do you think?
By the way, if you want a General Licence, or if you know anybody who's trigger-happy and wants an inexpensive birthday present, go to: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/gen-licence.htm
Cheers
Gus
I recently got involved in a local incident where a roofer was taking it upon himself to shoot gulls (see "Gull Persecution" thread). During this time I e-mailed DEFRA to see what the criteria were for operating under a General License to cull birds. Imagine my surprise to discover that, in order to use a General License, you only need to download one from the internet, fill in your details, and off you go! Blam! You don't need to inform DEFRA that you have a licence, it's apparently valid for 5 years (although it's easy enough to just download a new one when you feel like it), and they have no idea how many are issued and who has one.
Call me daft, but isn't this taking the p*ss, or am I missing something? What do you think?
By the way, if you want a General Licence, or if you know anybody who's trigger-happy and wants an inexpensive birthday present, go to: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/gen-licence.htm
Cheers
Gus