Gamebirds: Call for Evidence

Thursday 3rd September 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Jenny Riddell-Carpenter)]

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Lords (Baroness Hayman of Ullock) has made the following written statement:

As set out in the land use framework and the animal welfare strategy for England, the Government committed to strengthening the evidence base on gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England.

I am today announcing that a call for evidence will launch on 4 September 2026 as the next step in delivering that commitment.

Gamebird rearing, release and shooting are established activities within rural land use and management. They can contribute to rural economies and land management, but their environmental, animal health, animal welfare and wider impacts are not yet fully understood. The call for evidence will gather information and evidence to improve understanding of both the positive and negative impacts associated with these activities.

The call for evidence will consider the rearing of gamebirds, the release of reared birds from captivity, associated shooting and land management activities, and impacts at local, regional and national level. It will seek evidence on biodiversity, protected sites and habitats, biosecurity and disease, bird of prey crime, animal welfare, use of natural resources, and other relevant environmental or social impacts.

Evidence gathered through this exercise will be carefully reviewed, including by independent external reviewers for information on release and shooting. This will support DEFRA’s understanding of these activities and their impacts and inform any future policy development. No decisions have been taken at this stage on whether to introduce any changes, and any future proposals would be subject to public consultation.

The call for evidence will be published on gov.uk and will be open for responses until 1 November 2026.

[HCWS308]