BASC has been asked if it is possible to manage pest species under Section Four of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 when Natural England (NE) withdraws the general licences at one minute to midnight tonight (THURSDAY).
BASC took urgent legal advice which is published here.
In summary, the advice is that anyone claiming to act under Section Four is at legal risk and BASC’s guidance is that those controlling pests should apply for an individual licence from NE.
We will be linking to guidance on how to do this later today when NE makes the information available.