Decision

Gamebirds: decision to issue the GL43 gamebird general licence for 2025 to 2027

How Defra arrived at its decision to issue the GL43 gamebird release general licence, valid from 2 May 2025 to 1 February 2027, which replaces the version published on 31 May 2023.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 20 May 2025

Applies to England

Documents

Defra’s 2025 Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and decision to issue general licence GL43 for 2025 to 2027

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Annex A – Natural England's statutory advice to Defra concerning GL43 – 17 December 2024

PDF, 172 KB, 8 pages

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Background and other supporting documents

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Details

Defra’s GL43 gamebird general licence allows an authorised person to release common pheasants or red-legged partridges on special areas of conservation (SACs) or within 500m of their boundary (their buffer zones).  

These documents explain how Defra considered the evidence and came to the decision to issue GL43 for 2025 to 2027.

Published 20 May 2025