NRW’s report on Game Management proposals is untenable, says CLA
CLA Cymru responds to Natural Resources Wales’ advice to Welsh Government and the Minister for Climate Change, on the necessity to add common pheasant and red-legged partridge to part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, in Wales.
CLA Cymru Chair, Iain Hill-Trevor says, “The Welsh Government and its agency Natural Resources Wales (NRW) should revisit their proposals and work closely with the game management sector to ensure a sustainable future for the rural economy, environmental care and the countryside community.
“NRW’s report fails to acknowledge that its proposals were not based on sound data and science, contained no critical impact assessment, and therefore their success or failure can’t be measured.
“The Welsh Government agency did not share the results of its thematic framework process to absorb the arguments presented by respondents about the important role game management plays in the rural economy, natural resource management and for the culture of the community within the Welsh countryside. These must be shared to inform any future developments.
“Equally, NRW based its advice to the Welsh Government on only a limited sample of the 42,000 responses to the Consultation, rather than the thorough review that the process deserves. This shows they have not listened to the views of many of those who took time to respond. If the review of the consultation is not done thoroughly and with integrity, it is impossible for the countryside community to have faith in this process and its outcome.
Many who took part in the consultation will feel their efforts have been ignored, and this represents a step in which rural communities and businesses are alienated and let down yet again by this agency of the Welsh Government