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Open Add fish-eating birds to Schedule 2.1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Created by Tim Weston
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Amend Schedule 2.1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to list cormorants, goosanders and red-breasted mergansers that they may be managed, enabling proportionate control to protect inland fisheries and migratory fish populations where serious damage is evidenced.

Evidence points to Atlantic salmon being at crisis point — around 90% of principal salmon rivers in England are now classified as at risk, and declared catches are at their lowest since records began. Millions invested in river restoration are being undermined by predation. Course fisheries are also under threat.

We believe Natural England licensing is too slow for fisheries managers to respond effectively. Adding these species to Schedule 2.1 will in our view enable targeted, evidence-based management to protect inland fish stocks.

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  • Government responded to this petition

    The government recently consulted on amending Schedule 2.1 and invited views from stakeholders. Responses are now being considered. Final decisions will be taken by Ministers and published shortly.

    Read the response in full

    The government consulted on proposed changes to Part 1, Schedule 2 (2.1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 earlier this year. Although all wild birds are protected under the Act, Schedule 2.1 provides limited exemptions that allow those species listed on it to be shot outside their close season, mainly for recreational shooting and harvesting.

    Schedule 2.1 currently lists 19 species of wild birds in England and Wales and 23 species in Scotland, mainly ducks, geese and wading birds. The consultation closed in May.

    Defra and Natural England previously carried out a review of Schedule 2.1 in England to ensure that shooting certain species of wild birds is sustainable and does not undermine their recovery. Similar reviews were carried out by NatureScot on behalf of the Scottish Government and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) on behalf of the Welsh Government.

    Following the conclusions of the reviews, Ministers largely agreed with various evidence-based recommendations set out in them, for example to extend the close season for woodcock, and remove pochard from Schedule 2.1.

    The views of the public were sought on these proposed changes. Consultees were also asked for suggestions as to whether further changes should be made, either adding other species to Schedule 2.1, removing species from the schedule, or amending the dates of close seasons. The government did receive proposals to add cormorants, goosanders and red-breasted mergansers to Schedule 2.1 so they can be more easily controlled for the purpose of protecting inland fisheries and migratory fish populations. These proposals, and any evidence provided to support them, are now being analysed and considered together with the many other different suggestions from the public that the consultation elicited.

    It is noted that a number of signatories to the petition reside in Scottish Parliamentary constituencies. It should be made clear that wildlife management is a devolved matter. While Defra worked collaboratively on the consultation document with the Scottish Government and Welsh Government, the UK government’s final decisions on which changes, if any, to make to Schedule 2.1 will relate only to England. The Secretary of State cannot compel Ministers in the Scottish Government or Welsh Government to make changes to Schedule 2.1 as it applies in Scotland or Wales. It will be for the governments of those nations to undertake their own analysis of the consultation responses and make decisions on legislative changes in Scotland and Wales to their own timelines.

    Aside from the consultation on Schedule 2.1, the petition comments on the population decline of fish species such as the Atlantic salmon. The government recognises the impact that fish-eating birds can have on fish stocks, though many factors are responsible for suppressing fish stock recovery. This includes, but is not limited to, climate change, water quality, pollution, flooding and habitat degradation. Defra is working at the national and international level where a range of issues are concerned to protect Atlantic salmon populations. Cleaning up the water environment, for example, is a key priority for the department.

    Furthermore, and as the petition alludes, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 already provides licensing functions to permit the control of piscivorous birds, most often cormorants, to protect fisheries where it can be shown that non-lethal measures are failing to manage predation.

    Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  • Government will respond to this petition

    This petition got more than 10,000 signatures meaning that government will respond to it.

  • Petition published

    This petition can now be signed.

    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 26 December 2026.