A new scientific report commissioned by Natural England and conducted by the GWCT has found that pheasant releasing does not cause declines in insect populations. Reviewing pheasants' diet, the studies found that adult gamebirds predominantly fed on grain and leafy vegetation, with invertebrates making up less than 3% of their typical diet. Negative effects were only detected at congregation points, such as release pens and around feeders, but the reported studies showed that shoots managed according to GWCT codes of practice minimised these localised impacts.
GWCT senior scientist Dr Rufus Sage, who authored the report, said:
“Pheasant releasing is often blamed for causing insect declines, but we have found no evidence for this. The studies showed that, even where up to 20 birds per hectare were present across large areas, there was no detectable effect on invertebrate abundance, species richness or diversity.”
The research project was commissioned by Natural England in the wake of Wild Justice’s legal proceedings in 2021, which claimed that negative impacts of gamebird release in Special Protection Areas (SPA) and Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) could not be ruled out due to lack of contrary evidence and should therefore be banned. Under the Precautionary Principle, Defra and Natural England duly introduced a licensing regime to regulate gamebird release in such areas until evidence gaps could be filled. These regimes have seen a significant restrictions on gamebird release in many SPAs, which is resulting in the removal of wildlife management practices performed by gamekeepers, shown to be beneficial to many red-listed bird species and wider biodiversity. That is to say, the introduction of these licensing regimes is directly detrimental to conservation efforts in SACs and SPAs.
Chris Packham, BBC presenter and director of Wild Justice, dismissed the report out of hand on Radio 4’s Farming Today, claiming that some of the data are too out of date (up to 20 years) and too narrow in scope (40,000+ invertebrates of 308 species sampled over dozens of sites). This is despite the acceptance of the validity of the data by expert academics in this research field.
The evidence showed that pheasants are accidental, rather than deliberate, predators of invertebrates, and that their peak predation of insects occurred in late spring and early summer, when fewer pheasants are on the ground. Indeed, with adherence to GWCT guidelines for release, studies show there is a likelihood of net biodiversity gain resulting from releasing across farmland and woodland landscapes. Woodland rides, hedgerows, game crops, field margins and structurally diverse woodland edges, all maintained for gamebirds, are well documented to support insects, farmland birds and other wildlife.
Dr Sage added:
“If GWCT’s releasing guidelines are followed, it can deliver a net positive effect on the large scale needed for nature recovery. Many habitats managed for gamebirds would not exist without releasing and provide proven benefits for invertebrates and wider wildlife.”