We have had a growing number of emails by concerned residents about Larsen Traps in private gardens. Natural England has a “General Licence” that you do not need to apply for but must comply with their conditions relating to conserving flora and fauna G106. But some gardeners have claimed to have chickens and are trying to justify their use by the Licence to kill or take certain wild birds to prevent serious damage or disease (GL04)
With GL04 the claim is usually crows are taking the chickens’ grain, so police are simply telling people to cover up the grain and the Larsen gets removed. With G106 police generally accept:
1) This is not a nature reserve, but a small garden, and so this type of trap will actually prevent nesting birds in this garden and those immediately surrounding it and so cannot be set for the purpose of
conserving fauna at this location.
2) Because the owner does not own the surrounding land, he cannot show proofing and scaring has been tried and failed as required by the licence.
3) This trap is causing much distress to immediate neighbours as it is attracting corvids to the neighbouring gardens when they never saw them before and they are having to frighten them away.
However, in May 2018 we had a Larsen trap in a small garden in East Sheen London, and Sgt Dorman
would not accept the trap was set contrary to the General Licence.
We ask Natural England for Clarity on General licence and gardens
On 27 th May 2018 we contacted Natural England with a representation that the General Licence specifically prohibits Larsen traps from gardens under G106. After over a month and several follow up emails we were told it would be passed to DEFRA to reply as it related to policy. As we did not get a reply for over a month we have contacted our MP at the end of July to get a response from the Environment Minister.
Please send Letters to the Environment Minister if you have any experience of Larsen Traps in gardens and ask for the General Licence to specifically outlaw their use in gardens:
Secretary of State for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Rt Hon Michael Gove
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
[email protected]