Goosanders (Hansard, 3 February 1994)

§ Mr. Hardy
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will reconsider her decision to allow goosanders to be shot on the River Wharfe; and if she will ensure that this decision will not be used as a precedent for the destruction of goosanders and similar species as a matter of routine.

§ Mr. Soames
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides for the issue of licences to kill or take protected wild bird species for the purpose of preventing serious damage to fisheries. The Agriculture Departments—in England, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food —are responsible for the issue of these licences and they must not be unreasonably withheld.
Applications for licences are judged on a case by case basis and the issue of any one licence does not set a precedent. Licences to allow shooting, as an aid to scaring, will not be issued unless the applicant has provided sufficient evidence of serious damage to the fishery and where other methods of scaring are shown to be ineffective or impractical and not just difficult to implement. Each applicant is visited by Agricultural Development Advisory Service, the Ministry's wildlife advisers, before a decision is taken on whether or not to issue a licence. All licences issued are to shoot only a restricted number of birds, over a specific site, during the time of year when the serious damage is occurring.
The licence to shoot goosanders on the River Wharfe was issued only after sufficient evidence of serious damage to the fishery was presented to the Ministry.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what considerations led her to license the Bolton Abbey Estate to kill 14 goosanders on the River Wharfe and on the estate fish farm; what representations and advice she received from English Nature; if she will make it her policy that all species listed under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 will be guaranteed protection in future; and if she will make a statement.

§ Mr. Soames
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides for the issue of licences to kill or take protected wild bird species for the purpose of preventing serious damage to fisheries. The Agriculture Departments—in England, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food —are responsible for the issue of these licences and they must not be unreasonably withheld.
Applications for licences are judged on a case-by-case basis. Licences to allow shooting, as an aid to scaring, will not be issued unless the applicant has provided sufficient evidence of serious damage to the fishery and where other methods of scaring are shown to be ineffective or impractical and not just difficult to implement.
The Agricultural Development Advisory Service, the Ministry's wildlife advisers, visit each applicant to assess the case before reporting back to the Ministry. English Nature is consulted locally and its representations are taken 817W into account in making the licensing decision. Nevertheless, the responsibility for the issue of such licences must remain with the Ministry. All licences issued are to shoot only a restricted number of birds, over a specific site, during the time of year when the serious damage is occurring.
The licences to shoot goosanders on the River Wharfe and on the estate fish farm were issued only after sufficient evidence of serious damage was presented to the Ministry.