Guernsey changes wood pigeon law
Game bird shooters in Guernsey are being warned by police that they may be unknowingly breaking animal welfare laws if they shoot wood pigeons because of changes in legislation, the BBC reports.
A limited number of animals and birds can be hunted as game in Guernsey, including wild rabbit, the common pheasant, grey or English partridge, red-legged or French partridge, Eurasian woodcock, and the common snipe.
The State of Guernsey Guidance Document provides information on who can hunt, the places where animals can be hunted, the methods of hunting that can be used and, in certain cases the times of the year when game animals can be hunted (there is a close season for some species). Hunting with dogs and ferrets is permitted and nets and cage traps can be used. All other traps and snares are prohibited.
Wood pigeon is now defined as game and not as a pest under recent amendments. This means that it is illegal to shoot them on public land between October until the end of January.
Also added to the guidance document are greylag goose and hybrid mallard duck. They can be killed by either air rifle or shotgun on private land only, but shooters need relevant permits.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
