Calls grow in Wales for stricter rules on releasing gamebirds amid avian flu concerns
Conservation groups urge a licensing system after confirmed bird flu outbreaks; industry warns tighter controls could cost jobs
Campaigners and conservationists in Wales have renewed calls for stricter controls on the release of gamebirds into the countryside amid fears the practice is harming native wildlife and spreading avian influenza.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Wales (RSPB Cymru) and other groups say current annual releases of pheasants and red‑legged partridges — estimated at between 800,000 and 2.3 million birds — are "unsustainable" and increase disease risk. They point to recent confirmed incidents of highly pathogenic avian influenza detected among released and reared birds as evidence that a more robust licensing system is needed.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) recommended in 2023 that ministers introduce a "risk‑based licensing framework" that would, in effect, require permission to release gamebirds in many areas. The Welsh government launched a public consultation three years ago and has delayed making a final decision; ministers say they are reviewing the consultation information and the changing avian flu situation.
Documents obtained by the BBC under a Freedom of Information request show that 875 wild pheasants were found dead near Llangollen, Denbighshire, in late May. Samples from 22 of those birds tested positive for avian flu. Weeks later, the disease was confirmed at a commercial gamebird premises near Wrexham that houses more than 20,000 pheasants and partridges.
Julian Hughes, head of species at RSPB Cymru, said the government has not published a roadmap to new rules despite repeated calls for action. "We're now in 2025, the government hasn't made any decision nor any announcement and we wonder what's the hold‑up, what's the problem?" he said, adding that large releases of non‑native gamebirds increase competition for food, attract predators and present a known risk of infecting wild birds, including species threatened in Wales such as curlews and black grouse.
Under the proposals being considered, gamekeepers would be required to apply to and pay NRW for a licence to release birds in and around sensitive sites, with NRW assessing potential damage to wider environmental interests before granting permission. Releases in other areas could be allowed under a general licence that would set a maximum number of birds permitted in a given area.
The shooting industry and some rural representatives argue tighter regulation could damage local economies. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation has estimated that shooting contributes about £75 million a year to the Welsh economy and supports roughly 2,400 jobs. Will and Helen Jones, who rear pheasants and run shoots from their farm near Hirnant, Powys, said their business invests significant sums back into habitat management and local conservation, and that biosecurity measures are in place to reduce disease risk.
"Everything in the countryside feels like it's being squeezed out, our way of life being eroded," Helen Jones said. "Without the shooting community, the winter would be very bleak here — the local economy benefits from it in so many different ways." She and her husband said hedgehogs, wild birds and hares have returned to their land following management linked to their shooting activities.
Welsh Conservative Member of the Senedd James Evans, chairman of the Senedd's cross‑party group on shooting and conservation, described the proposals as "a sledgehammer to crack a nut," warning that unnecessary regulation could lead to job losses and harm rural livelihoods.
The Welsh government said in a statement it is giving the licensing idea "careful consideration" and is reviewing information from the gamebird release consultation while taking into account the evolving avian flu situation. Ministers had initially asked for advice on whether more oversight was needed in 2022 and have said any changes would allow shoots enough time to prepare.
Natural Resources Wales's recommendation for a risk‑based framework followed evidence submitted during the consultation that releases can affect native species and habitats. Conservationists say infections on or near important breeding sites heighten the urgency; the May incident near Llangollen occurred close to breeding areas for species of conservation concern.
Industry representatives and some land managers, while acknowledging the need for biosecurity, say well‑managed shoots can provide habitat benefits through predator control, woodland and hedgerow management, and maintenance of open ground. RSPB Cymru's Julian Hughes said that while some land management associated with shooting can be beneficial, the scale and locations of releases need oversight to reduce risks to wild bird populations and to manage disease transmission pathways.
No timeline for a final Welsh government decision has been published. Ministers have previously committed to allowing reasonable lead‑in time if a new licensing system is adopted, but campaigners say delay increases the potential harm to vulnerable native species and raises continued public‑health and agricultural concerns related to avian influenza.
