The Welsh government has announced an independent call for evidence on gamebird release in Wales.

Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister & Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, stated that "wildlife management in Wales must be environmentally sustainable, legally robust, and aligned with our wider nature recovery ambition".

The Minister reaffirmed the Welsh government's policy intention to "move towards a more regulated and sustainable system for managing gamebird releases, including the potential introduction of a future licensing regime".

This follows a public consultation, conducted in 2022 by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) that concluded that any release of pheasant or red-legged partridge should be licensed, despite concerns raised by Countryside Alliance Wales in its response to the consultation.

The independent evidence-gathering process will be led by Environment Platform Wales (EPW), working across Wales' universities. The evidence review will form an important foundation for future policy development.

Countryside Alliance Wales will submit evidence demonstrating the huge benefits that responsible game shooting and its associated wildlife management contribute towards the environment and biodiversity.

Rachel Evans, Director of Countryside Alliance Wales, commented:

"Gamebird release, its associated wildlife management and shooting more broadly are hugely beneficial to the environment and biodiversity in Wales.

"While the full details of the evidence-gathering process are yet to be announced, it is imperative that the process results in a fair and balanced assessment of the evidence, recognising where there are gaps in data and, crucially, the irreplaceable contribution made by Welsh shoots to the management and protection of many of Wales' most sensitive sites and vulnerable species, such as curlew.

"If the Minister is serious about reversing biodiversity decline he must work with the shooting community not against them."