WOS Council has recently agreed Position Statements on two current and contentious issues: Gamebird releases and Fish-eating birds.

This is WOS’s Position Statement on Gamebird Releases and Wild Birds:

• WOS is supportive of NRW’s proposals for a gamebird release licensing system in Wales to regulate the industry.
• WOS considers that NRW should include conditions in such licenses and the criteria under which licenses can be withdrawn.
• WOS calls for enforcement of the legal requirement that all gamebird businesses with birds having outdoor access are included in the poultry register.
• WOS is seriously concerned about the risks of HPAF spread facilitated by gamebird releases, especially the release of Mallard, and seeks assurance from Welsh Government that action to contain any such outbreak is implemented immediately.
• WOS acknowledges the benefits of broadleaved woodland and hedgerow planting being carried out by some shoots and the probable gain for wild birds from gamebird food being distributed on intensively managed farmland.
• Wos believes that more research is needed on the impact of gamebird releases on predator control and how this might impact on wild birds and supports any investigations and legal action taken against incidences of illegal raptor killing.
• WOS encourages research on the impact of large-scale gamebird releases on native species including invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles.

Do have a look at the full document at https://birdsin.wales/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Gamebird-Releases-Position-Statement-March-2026.pdf : in addition to the position statement itself, the document gives detailed background to the statement which is given above.

This is WOS’s Position Statement on Fish-eating birds:

WOS ..

• Strongly supports measures aimed at reversing the substantial declines in fish species in Welsh rivers and lakes and returning these highly important ecosystems to favourable conservation status.

• Wishes to see urgent measures taken by NRW and water companies to substantially reduce pollution incidents from sewage treatment plants and from septic tanks and other sources into rivers.

• Wishes to see implementation of further measures by Welsh Government’s Agriculture Department and by NRW to reduce fertiliser and manure runoff from farms into rivers.

• Is unaware of any scientific evidence which differentiates the contribution of the numerous factors causing ecological deterioration including fish depletion in Welsh rivers and lakes.

• Is unaware of any scientific evidence which directly links fish declines in our rivers and lakes to predation by fish eating birds.

• Considers that a variety of scaring methods should be used at stillwater fisheries and hatcheries and on lakes and identified stretches of rivers where large numbers of fish eating birds concentrate.

Do have a look at the full document at https://birdsin.wales/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/FISH-EATING-BIRDS-POSITION-STATEMENT-July26.pdf: in addition to the position statement itself, the document gives detailed background to the statement which is given above.