Defra publishes General Licence 43 for release of gamebirds

GL43, the general licence that allows an authorised person to release common pheasants and red-legged partridge on Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) or within 500m of their boundary (with the exception of Lundy SAC), has today been published on gov.uk. It does not cover the release of common pheasants or red-legged partridges on SACs or within the buffer zone of a SAC if the site is also designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) or is within the buffer zone of a SPA. 

GL43 is valid in England from 2 May 2025 – 1 February 2027. It is not necessary to apply or register to use this licence, but all those releasing gamebirds into the wild must follow all conditions of the licence. These include the release densities of common pheasant and partridge permitted both within SACs and within the 500m buffer zone of a SAC boundary.  If releasing 50 or more common pheasants or red-legged partridges within a SAC or its buffer zone, there is also a requirement to report the total number and species of gamebird being released, the gamebird density (birds per hectare), and a 6-figure grid reference of the release site. 

The licence includes a new condition (Condition 4) and related best practice advice for biosecurity measures. These must be adhered to when releasing gamebirds under this licence.
GL43 can be read here.