Michael Gove lifts the ban on shooting birds that triggered death threats against Chris Packham
Love him or hate him Packham has the ability to get people engaging with rural issues….
Michael Gove has lifted a ban on shooting birds that was introduced following pressure from environmentalists and saw death threats levelled against Chris Packham.
The U-turn follows calls by angry Tory MPs for the environment secretary to “take back control,” after the ban was heavily criticised by farmers and rural landowners.
Earlier this year, Natural England, the non-departmental public body sponsored by the environment department, changed rules that allowed the shooting of 16 bird species, including crows, wood pigeons and jays to protect crops and livestock.
The decision came after a legal challenge from Wild Justice, a conservation group set up by Packham and Ruth Tingay, among others.
After it came into force, farmers claimed they could no longer cull crows attacking newborn lambs or stop pigeons stripping their crops, unless they applied for individual licences. This left them fearful of prosecution, they said.