Wildlife control licenses

Summary

The requester asked for details on specific wildlife control licenses issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture since 2016, excluding general licenses. The authority disclosed that 28 individual licenses were issued under the Wildlife Act and Curraghs Acquisition Act, detailing the species targeted, control methods, and justifications such as livestock protection and air safety.

Key Facts

• A total of 8 Wildlife Act licenses were issued between 2016 and July 2021.
• A total of 20 Curraghs Acquisition Act licenses were issued between 2016 and July 2021.
• Justifications for licenses included preventing damage to livestock, poultry, and ensuring air safety at the airport.
• Species targeted included ravens, crows, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, greylag geese, feral geese, Canada geese, and woodpigeons.
• Control methods specified were shooting, cage trapping, and nest/egg destruction.

Data Disclosed

• 8
• 20
• 2016
• 2021-06-23
• 2021-07-13
• 3 ravens
• 1 egg
• 1865659

Original Request

How many licenses for wildlife control has the department issues since 2016, excepting the general licenses? What were these licenses for - what species, means of control and justification for control? How many animals or birds were licensed to be killed, and how many nests or eggs destroyed?

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im www.gov.im

Our ref: 1865659 13th July 2021

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 23th June 2021 and which states:

"How many licenses for wildlife control has the department issues since 2016, excepting the general licenses? What were these licenses for - what species, means of control and justification for control? How many animals or birds were licensed to be killed, and how many nests or eggs destroyed?"

I have detailed below the information that is being released to you. Response From the language of the enquiry, we have taken ‘control’ to mean killing/removal from the wild. Our search has taken into account the Wildlife Act licences (WA) and Curraghs Acquisition Act licences (CAA). WA licences In total 8 licences were issued from 2016 (inclusive) to the current date: • 6 licences were to shoot up to 3 ravens in order to back up scaring, to prevent serious damage to livestock/poultry. • 1 licence was for the use of a cage trap to take crows, rooks and jackdaws for the purpose of air safety. • 1 licence was for the destruction of crow’s nest and the one egg within it (as soon as possible, before the egg hatched), which was situated within the airport runway equipment, for air safety. CAA licences In total 20 licences were issued from 2016 (inclusive) to the current date: • 6 licences were to shoot greylag and feral geese. • 3 licences were to shoot greylag and Canada geese. • 5 licences were to shoot woodpigeons, rooks, carrion and hooded crows. • 1 licence was to shoot woodpigeons, rooks, carrion and hooded crows, magpies and jackdaws. • 5 licences were to shoot greylag and feral geese, woodpigeons and rooks.

Please quote the reference number 1865659 in any future communications.

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I will now close your request as of this date.