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BASC takes legal fight for shoots to the High Court
BASC will take its legal challenge against Natural England to the High Court on 1 and 2 July 2026, in a case with significant implications for shoots releasing pheasants and red-legged partridges on or near Special Protection Areas in England.
The Judicial Review focuses on Natural England’s (NE) licensing regime, which BASC argues is legally flawed and has created unnecessary uncertainty for shoots.
Acting on behalf of its members and the wider shooting community, BASC was granted permission by the High Court to proceed on all grounds in February 2026, with the case backed by the BASC Fighting Fund.
The legal grounds for the claim
The legal grounds for the claim are as follows:
- The definition of ‘release’ – BASC argues that NE has wrongly interpreted the law by treating birds as ‘released’ when they are placed into secure release pens, rather than when they are released into the wild.
- Restrictions on keeping gamebirds – BASC challenges licence conditions that prevent gamebirds from being kept within a Special Protection Area and its 500m buffer zone before a specified date, which can have significant consequences for shoots that hatch and rear their own birds on site.
- Licensing beyond SPA boundaries – BASC argues that Natural England has unlawfully extended licensing requirements beyond the legal boundaries of Special Protection Areas and buffer zones, potentially forcing some shoots to obtain licences even when releasing birds outside those designated areas.
What's at stake
BASC has consistently warned that NE’s approach risks undermining the conservation it is intended to protect. Sustainable shooting delivers more than £500 million of conservation work each year, supporting habitat management and species recovery across the countryside – the equivalent of 26,000 full-time jobs.
BASC’s executive director of conservation, Matt Ellis, said: “The licensing system as it stands is legally flawed, confusing, and has created real difficulties for gamekeepers, shoot managers and land managers who are working hard to manage the countryside responsibly.
“We are in court to secure clarity and fairness for our members, and to protect sustainable shooting and associated conservation work that benefits wildlife, habitats and rural communities.
“This case has been made possible by BASC’s Fighting Fund – a unique resource that enables us to take decisive legal action when our members’ interests are at stake. We are grateful for the support of everyone who has backed us in bringing this challenge.
“We remain committed to working constructively with government and its agencies. But where decisions are unlawful, we will not hesitate to act.”
BASC will publish an update following the conclusion of the hearing later this week and again when the High Court delivers its judgment.
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