Ein cyf/Our ref: ATI-16772a
Date: 11 February 2019
Dear Michelle,
YOUR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
I am writing in respect of your request for information (ATI) dated 14 January 2018 under
the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) (2004).
You request was as follows:
Please could you advise whether you allow hunting with hounds on your land and if
so, whether hunts need to obtain a license in order to do so.
We do give permission for control of wild species under Exempt Hunting (The Hunting Act
2004), which allows the use of two dogs.
NRW's Position statement on the use of Firearms on land managed by NRW says the
following:
NRW will continue to consider applications for permission to carry out control of wild species
using firearms on the land we manage.
Rationale
Some wild species that occur on the land we manage may cause damage to livestock, crops
or the conservation sites of neighbouring landowners. Consideration of applications for
permission to carry out control of wild species using firearms on the land that we manage is
consistent with the Hunting Act 2004 and NRW is committed to being a good neighbour. This
is primarily for the control of foxes to prevent damage to livestock by flushing out the animal
and dispatching with a firearm. Predation has also been identified as a major cause of
reduced breeding success for many ground-nesting birds and they may benefit from
predator control performed in neighbouring forest blocks. Evidence suggests that the use of
firearms in this circumstance is consistent with NRW’s purpose, the principles and objectives
and SMNR and will also support delivery of Well-being Goals from land owned and managed
by others.
Conditions
Applications must provide clear justification that the activity is to prevent or reduce serious
damage which the wild species would otherwise cause. Non-compliance with legislation or
terms of the permission could result in the permission being removed and/or not renewed.
The International Consensus Principles for Ethical Wildlife Control will be used to direct
NRWs response to applications.
Nerys Griffith
Swyddog Mynediad at Wybodaeth/ Access to Information Officer
Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru/ Natural Resources Wales
Ffôn / Tel. : 03000654906
E-bost / E-mail :
xxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
xxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Gwefan/Websit
e:www.cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk/www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk
If they do, how many licenses have you issued since August 2018, to which hunts and
covering what land?
A total of 16 licences were issues 4 of these were for access to the land only.
The forest districts are as follows Coed y Cymoedd, Coed y Gororau, Coed y Mynydd and
Llanymddyfri.
We now consider that we have complied with your request. However, if you are dissatisfied
with our response you are entitled to pursue this matter through our appeals procedure, a
copy of which is below
Yours sincerely
Nerys Griffith Access to Information Officer
Rights of appeal
If you are not satisfied with our response to your request, you can contact us to ask for our
decision to be reviewed, please write to:
Catherine Love
Director of Communications
Natural Resources Wales Ty
Cambria, 29 Newport Road,
Cardiff, CF24 0TP.
xxxxxxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
If you are still not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Information
Commissioner, who is the statutory regulator for Freedom of Information. The address is:
Office of the Information Commissioner,
Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Tel: 0303 123 113
Fax: 01625 524 510.
E-mail:
xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx. Website:
http//www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Nerys Griffith
Swyddog Mynediad at Wybodaeth/ Access to Information Officer
Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru/ Natural Resources Wales
Ffôn / Tel. : 03000654906
E-bost / E-mail :
xxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
xxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Gwefan/Websit
e:www.cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk/www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk
