BASC has joined other rural organisations in writing to environment secretary Michael Gove to demand an investigation into Natural England’s handling of the general licensing “disaster”.
BASC chief executive Ian Bell is joint signatory of the letter alongside the National Farmers Union, the Countryside Alliance, CLA, The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, National Farmers Union, Moorland Association, National Gamekeepers Organisation and Game Farmers Association.
The letter says: “As Secretary of State for the Department to which NE is contracted as the current licensing authority, you are asked to undertake a full investigation as to who made what decisions, when, and why. Your Department needs to determine what changes may be necessary going forward, to ensure this sort of disaster is never repeated.”
Mr Bell said: “The rural organisations have united to tell the Secretary of State that this fiasco is simply unacceptable. The shooting and farming community has been failed and Mr Gove has to step in to take decisive action”.