Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the normal turnaround time between (1) receiving an application for a licence to shoot avian predators, and (2) notification of decision; and what are the principal reasons for refusal to approve licence applications.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Natural England aims to assess individual licences within 30 working days.
Most licences are renewals. These have a streamlined application process and light touch reassessment process, whereby licensees indicate that they want to renew their licence when they submit their licensing report at the end of the licence period.
To shoot avian predators to prevent serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, specific legislative and policy tests relevant to the species and purpose must be satisfied for a licence to be granted.
For cormorant licensing:
For herons, mergansers and goosanders:
If any one test cannot be satisfied, this will be the basis for refusing a licence application.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how DEFRA, Natural England and the Environment Agency jointly assess the balance in limiting population densities between (1) non-at-risk avian predators, and (2) Atlantic salmon, on the principal salmon rivers.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided relates to England only.
Salmon populations in England’s rivers are generally declining, with many detrimental factors suppressing recovery. Defra is a member of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation, working with international counterparts to conserve and restore Atlantic salmon, including measures to mitigate avian predation.
All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including avian predators, regardless of their population or conservation status.
The Government does not aim to limit or reduce the population of any native wild bird. If evidence shows that species such as cormorant, heron or goosander are having a serious impact on fisheries or salmon, a licence can be issued.
Natural England (NE) sets evidence-based limits on the number of cormorants licensed to be killed each year to prevent irreversibly affecting their conservation status. Scarecer breeding species, including goosander, are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Licences issued by NE target specific locations when migrating salmon are most vulnerable, like during the smolt run, to improve the effect of protecting fisheries.
The Environment Agency funds two fisheries management advisors within the Angling Trust who provide bespoke advice to fisheries seeking predator control licences.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many licences to shoot avian predators were issued in total in each of the past 5 years, broken down by species and catchments or rivers; and how this compares with the number of applications.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The number of licence applications received to shoot avian predators over the last five years is set out in the table below:
Year received | Number of apps received | Number of licences issued |
2023 | 494 | 518* |
2022 | 469 | 406 |
2021 | 554 | 408 |
2020 | 508 | 422 |
2019 | 563 | 463 |
*Due to licences being issued across an 8 month season which straddles years, more licences can be issued than received given any one year.
River and catchment data cannot be prepared within the timescale for response.
The number of licences issued to shoot avian predators in each of the past five years, broken down by species, is set out below:
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2023 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 439 |
Cormorant and Goosander | 11 | ||
Goosander | 39 | ||
Grey heron | 29 | ||
| 518 |
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2022 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 370 |
Cormorant and Goosander | 1 | ||
Goosander | 17 | ||
Grey heron | 18 | ||
| 406 |
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2021 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 355 |
Cormorant and Goosander | 5 | ||
Goosander | 24 | ||
Grey heron | 24 | ||
| 408 |
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2020 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 371 |
Goosander | 23 | ||
Grey heron | 28 | ||
| 422 |
Year | Licence Purpose: | Species | Total |
2019 | Preventing serious damage to fisheries or inland waters, under section 16(1)(k) | Cormorant | 405 |
Goosander | 24 | ||
Grey heron | 34 | ||
| 463 |
This data has been taken from the Transparency data published by Natural England located here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-wildlife-licences-issued-by-natural-england-in-2023
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what specific measures have been taken by the Government and Environment Agency to meet their stated objectives and responsibilities with regard to the leisure fishing industry, and what criteria with measurable indicators and outcomes have been set to determine the degree of current and future success in delivery.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has a duty to maintain, improve and develop fisheries for freshwater and diadromous fish. Income from angling rod licence sales is reinvested in work across the country including monitoring, enforcement, fish stocking, fish rescues, responding to incidents and providing fisheries advice. This work is partially funded by rod licence income. The EA reports annually on how rod licence income is used. The 2023 report can be found here (attached).
The Government recognised recreational sea fishing in the Fisheries Act 2020 (FA2020) enabling it to contribute to the Act’s objectives as required by the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS). Recreational sea fishing is being integrated into Defra’s evidence-based Fisheries Management Plans, which set out how the JFS objectives will be delivered. Progress towards the JFS will be assessed and reported every six years, in-line with section 3 of the FA2020.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to sustain and increase the stocks of trout and salmon in rivers and lakes in England and Wales in the face of predation by cormorants and other native and non-native birds.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The answer to Question HL1183 sets out the Government’s approach to managing bird predation on wild Atlantic salmon.
The Environment Agency (EA) manages salmon and sea trout fisheries in England. In 2018 national byelaws effectively closed the remaining salmon net fisheries and adjusted the seasons for the remaining sea trout net fisheries. In 2023, 95% and 89% of recreational salmon and sea trout catches respectively were released, alive. This has been achieved through a combination of voluntary or mandatory measures. Where necessary, the EA has introduced river specific regulatory measures to better protect sea trout, including size restrictions and bag limits.
The EA also works with partner organisations to address other pressures facing salmon and sea trout, such as barriers to fish passage. A full list of actions related to salmon can be found in the England and Wales “Implementation Plan” (copy attached) to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), along with annual progress updates available on NASCO’s website. The EA is currently re-assessing the key pressures on salmon, in England, ahead of producing a new implementation plan in 2025/26.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proposals they have for encouraging and developing private and business leisure fishing in rivers and lakes in England and Wales.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has a statutory duty under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975) to maintain, improve and develop fisheries. In addition, ministerial guidance they received in 2000 confirmed the need to:
- ensure the conservation and maintain the diversity of freshwater and migratory fish, and to conserve their aquatic environment.
- enhance the contribution migratory and freshwater fisheries make to the economy, particularly in remote rural areas and in areas with low levels of income; and
- enhance the social value of fishing as a widely available and healthy form of recreation.
The EA promotes angling as a widely available and healthy outdoors activity. Getting more people to take up fishing involves working closely with partners, particularly the Angling Trust. This work also results in social, health and wellbeing outcomes.
The EA provides advice and guidance for fishery owners, including commercially run venues, and invests income from rod licence sales to support projects to improve fisheries and facilities for anglers. This improves economic benefits for many angling stakeholders and businesses within local communities, many in rurally deprived areas.
These responsibilities are undertaken by the EA throughout England, the role in Wales sits with National Resources Wales.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any proposals to license the increased culling of cormorants and other predatory native and non-native birds in England and Wales.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 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.
Licences are issued by Natural England, which has responsibility for setting a prudent upper limit on cormorant control to ensure that licensed removal does not irreversibly affect their conservation status. Licensing returns are monitored to ensure this limit is not breached. The Government is not currently proposing to license an increased culling of cormorants or other predatory species of birds.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure the salmonoid and coarse fish stocks in England and Wales against predation by cormorants and goosanders; and what consideration they have given to amending the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 for this purpose.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Government recognises the impact that fish-eating birds, such as cormorants and goosanders, can have on fish populations. Currently, Natural England can grant licences to shoot a limited number of cormorants and goosanders to prevent serious damage to inland fisheries, where it can be shown that non-lethal measures are failing to manage predation. In the case of cormorants, up to 3000 birds may be licensed to be shot each year. To improve the effectiveness of both non-lethal and lethal measures, Natural England encourages fisheries within the same river-catchment area to cooperate as part of an area-based licensing scheme.
The Environment Agency also supports the employment of Fishery Management Advisers, who provide practical support to angling clubs and fisheries about protecting fish from cormorants and goosanders.
Working together, Natural England and the Environment Agency help fisheries effectively manage predation problems without irreversibly harming the conservation status of these species.
The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) continues to be effective at providing licensing functions to permit the control of piscivorous birds to protect fisheries and in that regard the Government has no plans to amend the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.