Close Menu
Pest MagazinePest Magazine
  • News
    • National Pest Awards
    • BPCA
    • NPTA
    • Companies
    • Local Authority
    • Natural England
    • HSE
    • People
    • Products
    • Best Practice
    • Brexit
    • COVID-19
  • Species
    • Rodents
    • Insects
    • Birds
    • Mammals
  • Magazines
    • June/July 2025
    • April / May 2025
    • Feb / March 2025
    • Dec 2024 / Jan 2025
    • Oct / Nov 2024
    • Aug / Sept 2024
  • Library
    • Inserts
    • Supplements
  • Professional Development
    • BASIS
    • Research
    • Stewardship
    • Training
  • Pest Test
  • Jobs
    • View All Jobs
  • Key Supporters
    • Bábolna Bio
    • Bell Laboratories
    • Pelsis
    • Envu
    • Lodi UK
    • PelGar International
    • Russell IPM
    • Syngenta
X (Twitter) LinkedIn
  • Sign-up for weekly news emails
  • Subscribe to Pest Magazine
  • About Us
    • Technical Advisory Board
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
X (Twitter) LinkedIn
Pest Test Log-In
Pest MagazinePest Magazine
  • News
    • National Pest Awards
    • BPCA
    • NPTA
    • Companies
    • Local Authority
    • Natural England
    • HSE
    • People
    • Products
    • Best Practice
    • Brexit
    • COVID-19
  • Species
    1. Rodents
    2. Insects
    3. Birds
    4. Mammals
    5. View All

    Helping a luxury car showroom eradicate an infestation and steer clear of rodents

    25 March 2024

    Case Study – Freeing a pig farm of a severe rodent infestation in just 10 days

    11 May 2023

    Chinese takeaway issues apology after video of rats and raw chicken emerges

    14 July 2021

    Republic of Ireland rodent callouts jump 35%

    25 June 2021

    13 confirmed sightings of yellow-legged hornets so far in 2025

    13 May 2025

    Red Spider Mites on the hunt for spaces to hibernate

    3 December 2024

    Rentokil encourages vigilance as wasp activity increases ahead of the early autumn nesting period

    25 September 2024

    Rentokil warns of a surge in biting insects as humid weather continues

    3 September 2024

    Worcester City Council increases budget to control gull numbers by £35,000

    26 October 2022

    BPCA urges householders and businesses to seek professional advice if birds are becoming a problem

    3 May 2022

    NatureScot restricts the use of general licences on Lochan Estate in Perthshire

    7 February 2022

    Natural Resources Wales confirms Welsh general licence extension until June 2022

    17 December 2021

    Conservation charity warns of need for joined-up approach and a fast-track to effective grey squirrel controls

    30 May 2025

    Squirrel charity welcomes new legislation on use of gene editing

    14 June 2022

    Ferrets to be removed as permitted target species for the DOC 250 spring trap

    13 April 2021

    Charity says planting of 30,000 hectares of trees must be matched by grey squirrel control

    10 February 2021

    Conservation charity warns of need for joined-up approach and a fast-track to effective grey squirrel controls

    30 May 2025

    13 confirmed sightings of yellow-legged hornets so far in 2025

    13 May 2025

    Red Spider Mites on the hunt for spaces to hibernate

    3 December 2024

    Rentokil encourages vigilance as wasp activity increases ahead of the early autumn nesting period

    25 September 2024
  • Magazines
    1. June/July 2025
    2. April / May 2025
    3. Feb / March 2025
    4. Dec 2024 / Jan 2025
    5. Oct / Nov 2024
    6. Aug / Sept 2024
    Featured

    Pest 99: June/July 2025

    By Simon King10 June 2025
    Recent

    Pest 99: June/July 2025

    10 June 2025

    Pest 98: April / May 2025

    8 April 2025

    Pest 97: February / March 2025

    12 February 2025
  • Library
    • Inserts
    • Supplements
  • Professional Development
    • BASIS
    • Research
    • Stewardship
    • Training
  • Pest Test
  • Jobs
    • View All Jobs
  • Key Supporters
    • Bábolna Bio
    • Bell Laboratories
    • Pelsis
    • Envu
    • Lodi UK
    • PelGar International
    • Russell IPM
    • Syngenta
Pest MagazinePest Magazine
Birds

Arrangements for new gull licences announced

Helen RibyBy Helen Riby4 February 2020No Comments4 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Natural England has today released details of the new arrangements to allow pest professionals to use lethal controls to manage herring and lesser black-backed gulls in England. Anyone intending to control these species to protect public health and safety must apply for an individual licence, A08.
The new A08 licence allows the holder to kill, take or disturb herring and lesser black-backed gulls to prevent disease or agricultural damage, for conservation, or public health and safety.

Natural England says that applications should be made before 15 March 2020, if possible and that they will respond as soon as possible after this date and in any case within 30 working days of receiving the application. The licence is free.

In deciding whether to issue a licence Natural England will consider the strength of need but generally protecting human life and health will be the overriding priority. Any control undertaken under other purposes such as preventing serious damage and conserving wild birds and flora or fauna will need to be targeted.

Readers may recall that these two species were not included in the new General Licences issued last summer because of concerns about their conservation status. The UK conservation status for herring gulls is red, and for lesser black-backed gulls the status is amber. The breeding population of herring gull has fallen by 60% in recent decades, with lesser black-backed gulls declining by an estimated 48%.

Natural England has now completed an assessment of the scale of licensed activities which will be sustainable. It has emerged from this that the scale of activity carried out under licences in recent years is too high. Continued activity at these levels is likely to have a harmful impact on the population levels of both species.For this reason, the lethal control of these gull species is being scaled back.

Gull licencing

Rural area restrictions
In rural areas, where populations overall are known to be in decline, Natural England will set upper ‘safe’ number of birds that could be killed. Upper ‘safe’ levels have not been identified for lethal control in urban populations of gulls, as these populations are faring better.

In rural areas, the sustainable number of birds that could be killed or taken has been set no more than 5% of the natural mortality total of each species. A quota system will be operated.

Urban area requirements
For urban areas whilst there is no limit Natural England is introducing a requirement for licence applicants to submit an integrated management strategy which details the opportunities for non-lethal methods to minimise the need for lethal control.

So to summarise if you need to control these gull species you will need to:

1. Complete form A08 and tell Natural England whether the site is ‘urban’ or ‘rural’.

Urban sites include:

  • Land and buildings within villages, towns and cities;
  • Power stations, business units and major industrial buildings;
  • Schools, universities and hospitals.

Rural sites include:

  • Landfill sites;
  • Airports and aerodromes;
  • Farms;
  • Reservoirs, fisheries and other large water bodies;
  • Nature reserves;
  • Shooting estates.

2. If your work is urban then you must include an integrated management plan (A47a) with your application

3. If you intend to cull gulls at an airfield, you should check if the air safety Class Licence CL12 covers your circumstances.

Details on how to apply including an Integrated Management Plan template (A47a) are available on Natural England’ website.

You must also report any actions you took using the licence using the report form template provided on the Natural England website.

Read more about the bird licensing saga on the Pest website and in Pest 63.

And don’t forget that the new General Licences issued last June will expire on 29 February 2020.

More bird news
In further bird news the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), Countryside Alliance (CA), Moorland Association (MA) and National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) – four of the largest organisations representing shooting in England and Wales – have been joined by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) in issuing a joint statement condemning all forms of raptor persecution. Read it here 

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleNews from Octavius Hunt at Parasitec
Next Article Key West Pest Control opens new office following “biggest year of growth”
Helen Riby

Read Similar Stories

Worcester City Council increases budget to control gull numbers by £35,000

BPCA urges householders and businesses to seek professional advice if birds are becoming a problem

NatureScot restricts the use of general licences on Lochan Estate in Perthshire

Latest Stories

Killgerm hosts another successful “On the Farm Day” at Hurcott Farm

1 July 2025

BPCA joins UK Business and Biodiversity Forum

1 July 2025

First 5<25 initiative candidate completes he RSPH Level 2 Award in Pest Management training course

30 June 2025
Key Supporters
© 2025 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • National Pest Awards
  • OvertheCounter
  • Pet Business World

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.