BASC: Natural England falling short on conservation licensing

BASC has today called into question Natural England’s (NE) commitment to conservation, as its latest performance data reveals significant failings in its licensing regime – failings that threaten to undermine biodiversity and marginalise those delivering proven conservation on the ground. NE’s own figures confirm it is falling short of its statutory purpose to promote nature conservation, protect biodiversity and conserve landscapes.

The recently published 2023–2024 Key Performance Indicator (KPI) report rates NE’s performance on licences that benefit species conservation as Amber-Red. The poor performance highlights systemic issues across Natural England’s licensing approach, many of which are also playing out in its handling of gamebird release licences and wider regulatory decisions.

This comes despite longstanding evidence that the shooting sector plays a critical role in habitat management, species recovery, and practical conservation delivery across large parts of the countryside. Rather than recognising or harnessing these contributions, NE’s licensing processes continue to create obstacles for land managers and gamekeepers. The failure to work with the shooting community is not just a missed opportunity – it actively undermines the very outcomes NE claims to prioritise.

“NE’s own data tells a story of failure when it comes to licensing for species conservation,” said BASC’s interim head of law, Dr Alex Murray. “The system is unfit for purpose. It is not supporting those who are actively delivering real outcomes for wildlife on the ground and people who rely on timely, clear, and science-based decisions from the regulator.

“NE’s poor performance on licensing is not a technical glitch but a symptom of a deeper failure to engage with the people and practices that are vital to conservation.

“We have decades of evidence that properly managed shooting and predator control benefit ground-nesting birds, rare habitats, and overall biodiversity. Yet this continues to be ignored or sidelined by NE’s internal processes. The result is a broken licensing system and, ultimately, declining conservation outcomes.”

The criticism is part of a wider concern that NE’s metrics and delivery mechanisms do not account for the measurable, landscape-scale benefits provided by shooting interests, particularly in upland and moorland areas.