Controlling fish-eating birds on a coarse or trout fishery
Fish-eating birds can sometimes cause serious damage to a coarse or trout fishery, for example:
- damage to stock
- reduced ticket sales
- loss of income
Using non-lethal scaring methods
You can manage these problems by using non-lethal scaring methods such as:
- visual presence of humans/dogs
- mannequins or scarecrows
- models of predatory birds or models that look like bird corpses
- kites or helium balloons
- flashing lights or lasers
- radio-controlled model aircraft or drones
- dazzling devices (for example, mirrors, reflectors or reflective tape)
- flags, rags, streamers or windmills
- flashing lights or lasers
- dyes, colourants and turbidity
- gas cannons
- shooting to scare with firearms using blank ammunition
- bioacoustics (predator or distress/alarm calls)
- netting
- ropes and wires
- removing availability of perching or roosting sites
Applying for a licence
We can sometimes grant licences for lethal control to support non-lethal methods. You must have tried non-lethal methods, and they must have had limited or no effect.
Information you must provide in your application
- Applicant's name, address, email and phone number
- Fishery name, address and ten-digit grid reference
- A fishery map
- Your reasons for applying for a licence
- Your cormorant and goosander bird count
- Evidence of serious damage to the still water fishery, for example:
- loss of income
- details of recorded losses
- catch records
- bird damage reports
- costs of replacing stock
- ticket or membership losses
- What non-lethal methods you used and:
- when you used them
- how effective they were
- why you did not use other non-lethal methods
How long it takes
We will make a decision within 40 working days of receiving a complete application.
How much it costs
We do not charge for this type of licence application.
Start your application
We can only issue licences between, and including, 1 October to 17 March.
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