Game bird licence rules ‘will cripple shoots’

Restrictions on releasing game birds intended to stop the spread of avian flu have thrown hundreds of shoots into crisis, the UK’s largest shooting organisation has said.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has made it mandatory for shooting businesses to obtain a licence to release game birds in certain areas in an attempt to stop the disease taking hold.

But the British Association for Shooting and Conservation said the move could cripple hundreds of shoots, threatening the long-term viability of the businesses. “Defra has not listened to the shooting community on this matter,” it added.