The licence which lets NI farmers control certain birds without applying for an individual permit has been changed by DAERA.

Five types of birds have been removed from general licence TPG2, which allows farmers to kill birds to prevent disease spread or damage to livestock and crops.

The birds removed from the licence are starlings, house sparrows and three different types of gulls.

Six species of birds remain on general licence – hooded crow, rook, jackdaw, magpie, feral pigeon, and wood pigeon. It means farmers can still control these birds without going through an application process.

The changes are set out in a letter from the Departmental Solicitor’s Office to Northamptonshire-based conservation group Wild Justice.

In May 2022, DAERA launched a review into general licences for bird control in NI. Temporary licences were issued while the review was carried out and amendments to these licences were made last week.

DAERA has said the temporary licences will remain in place until the end of the year, although it appears they could be withdrawn before then. “It is hoped that those interim licences can be revoked and replaced by new general licences within that time period,” reads the letter from the Departmental Solicitor.