Reform UK promises to help shooting in Wales

Political parties are publishing their manifestos ahead of the Senedd elections in May, with Reform UK pledging to support shooting, explains Conor O’Gorman.

Before the 2024 UK general election I reviewed the manifesto commitments made by Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Greens.

There were various statements on banning and restricting activities relating to shooting, with the exception being Reform UK, who committed to ‘protecting country sports’ because ‘these increase investment and help conservation of our environment. They boost rural jobs, communities and local economies”.

Political campaigning in Wales went up a notch last week ahead of the May 2026 Senedd elections with the parties starting to publish their manifestos.

Reform UK’s Wales manifesto, published on 5 March, caught our eye with specific promises not to ban the release of game birds or create a licensing regime; and to review the ‘excessively restrictive’ general licences for the control of pest birds.

Gamebird releasing in Wales

The release of pheasant and red-legged partridge in Wales have long been in the spotlight.

In 2018 Natural Resources Wales (NRW) decided to phase out gamebird releasing and shooting on its woodland estates. Then, in 2023 the quango went a step further launching a consultation on plans to ban gamebird releasing anywhere in Wales and instead introduce a licensing system.

To help fight this BASC launched its Act Now campaign and NRW was inundated with responses saying no to the proposals. The ban has been shelved, but the threat may return, and it is a welcome policy decision by Reform UK to be clear it would not support a ban or licensing system.

The Reform UK Wales manifesto pledge in full is “Reform will not ban the release of game birds or create a licensing regime for the activity to continue. There is already sufficient legislation and governance in place to stop any bad practice or illegal activity. We will protect lawful game bird release”.

Bird pest control in Wales

In Wales you have to apply for an individual licence to trap or shoot a magpie or rook. It is a ridiculous situation with the Welsh general licences only covering carrion crow, jackdaw, feral pigeon, ruddy duck, woodpigeon and Canada goose.

Furthermore, if you intend controlling carrion crow under the conservation general licence this is only allowed from 1 February to 31 August and restricted to protecting only the chicks and eggs of certain bird species.

NRW has chipped away at the pest birds list for years and Reform UK’s pledge to review these restrictions is positive recognition of the problems faced by farmers and shoots.

The Reform UK Wales manifesto pledge in full is “General licences, which are rightly there to help protect flora and fauna in Wales, are excessively restrictive compared to other parts of the UK. Certain species such as the curlew are iconic to Wales but in danger of declining beyond saving because tools such as the general licence have been restricted so much that predator control is no longer permitted. We will review all general license restrictions”.

The other manifestos for Wales

The Welsh Conservatives manifesto was published on 3 March and makes no mention of shooting. There is a commitment for a £20 million Wildlife Wales Fund to support conservation efforts across Wales, and to axe the Sustainable Farming Scheme replacing it with a new food security first scheme.

Plaid Cymru has published a 100-day plan should it win the Senedd elections. No mention of shooting but there are promises to help farming and to bring forward proposals for a new statutory duty on rural proofing.

We await manifestos from Plaid Cymru, Welsh Labour, Welsh Liberal Democrats and other parties.

Wales and Scotland elections

There will be further BASC updates about the May elections in Wales and Scotland.

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