Last year, campaign group Wild Justice launched a legal challenge against DEFRA over the unregulated annual release of 50+ million gamebirds (pheasant and re-legged partridge) in to the English countryside (see here).
Permission was granted to Wild Justice for a judicial review after a judge dismissed DEFRA’s claim earlier this year that the case was ‘premature and academic’ (see here) and the court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
Meanwhile, this legal challenge was discussed on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today programme this morning. You can listen here (the last 5 mins of the programme) and this clip is available for the next 29 days.
DEFRA was asked to comment and was quoted as saying a statement is imminent…..
For more information on this case and other Wild Justice legal challenges, both current and forthcoming, check out the Wild Justice blog (here) and subscribe to the free Wild Justice newsletter (here).
Raptor Persecution UK 
Yes, I heard this live, but isn’t it shocking that you have to be an insomiac to hear discussions like this on the BBC?
Yes. I try to always listen to that programme as it covers rural issues which I am interested in. If I miss live broadcast I catch up by podcast. However almost every evening at prime time on Radio 4 at least an hour of arts programming is broadcast ( Front Row, Loose Ends etc) and I’ve felt for a while that some of that slot could be shared with environmental issues. Maybe we should start a campaign?
Note this formal notice issued by Sussex Police this October about a group (five!) of non-native birds being released into the environment:
“Peacocks are a NON NATIVE species and their existence in the wild of Sussex cannot continue, due to the potential impacts on our native wildlife.
Current efforts are focused on trapping then rehoming the peacocks. However we must advise that if this cannot be completed, then humane dispatch will be required.”
Interesting contrast, don’t you think, with the Police’ attitude to gamebird releases?
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-54706153
Brilliant, brilliant news on WJ legal case. Well done all of you. Looking forward to the Scottish approach to gamebird releases.