This report analyses 11 semi-structured interviews with falconers and interested members of the public who also responded to the public call for evidence undertaken by Natural England in 2022 as part its review of ‘wild take’ licensing. The report covers similar issues to those in the call for evidence but enables interviewees to provide greater detail and depth, as well as cover other issues participants perceived pertinent to the review.
Most falconer interviewees had little personal interest in obtaining a licence. A subset expressed a desire to partake in the cultural experience of wild take as practiced historically. The falconers interviewed tended to view bird lineage and behavioural traits as more important than bird genetics and suggested little difference in the performance of captive-bred and wild-origin birds when trained for use in falconry. Falconers suggest that captive bred birds offer a satisfactory alternative solution to wild take and that the rehabilitation and release of injured wild birds could meet the desire to hunt with wild birds. They also suggested that wild-disabled birds could potentially be used to introduce genetic diversity into the captive-breeding population if required.
Non falconers expressed concerns about the licensing of wild take, framed in terms of illegal wild take and trade, the continued persecution of birds of prey and lack of resources to police it.
The evidence from this report has been combined with other evidence gathered for the review, to inform Natural England’s advice to Defra on the future of wild take licensing in England.