Investigation in to suspected unlawful release of gamebirds in the buffer zone of a Special Protection Area

This summer we have been investigating what we suspect to be the unlawful release of gamebirds in the buffer zone of a Special Protection Area (SPA) in England.

As you may recall, thanks to our legal action in 2020 about the unregulated release of non-native gamebirds (Pheasants & Red-legged Partridges) on or near Natura 2000 sites (areas designated to protect Europe’s most valuable & threatened habitats and species), Defra decided to add these two species to Schedule 9 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, which means that in England, they can only be released on or close to Natura 2000 sites under licence, with certain conditions attached, as a way of controlling the ecological damage they may cause.

However, in March 2025 Defra withdrew General Licence 45 (the licence that permits the release of gamebirds on or near (within 500m) Special Protection Areas (SPAs)) due to the risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) spreading to birds on SPAs.

Following this, in April 2025 Natural England advised the gamebird shooting industry that although they could still apply for individual licences for 2025 gamebird releases on or close to SPAs, some licences would only be permitted with a delayed release date for the poults, whereas licences for many other SPAs would be unlikely to be issued at all, again due to the very high risk of spreading Bird Flu.

So in August when we were tipped off by one of our supporters about hundreds of young gamebirds running around the 500m buffer zone of an SPA, it got our attention.

After a number of site visits to document and collect evidence, and a great deal of correspondence between various public authorities, we learned that gamebird releases had taken place within the SPA’s 500m buffer zone, and that the shoot operator had twice applied for an individual licence to release the birds this year but that Natural England had refused permission, twice. But the releases went ahead anyway!

The local police force has now opened an investigation (it’s a criminal offence to release gamebirds in England on or near an SPA without a licence) and is working with both Natural England and the local county council’s trading standards team to establish whether the shoot operator has also breached mandatory biosecurity regulations, also a criminal offence.

We await news on the progress of the investigation.