Ban the use of netting on roofs and outdoor structures

Thousands of birds are reported to get trapped in netting yearly, and many may die in pain and fear from the horrific injuries sustained trying to free themselves e.g. breaking their entangled limbs. Others may die of dehydration and starvation and rescuers are too late.

We believe Parliament can stop this by banning the netting causing it. The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 places responsibility for maintenance on Property Owners. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 gives trapped wildlife the same protection as domestic animals if trapped after 25 hours. We believe neither are being observed nor enforced.

Specialist equipment is often required to free the birds. Most Organisations/Individuals responsible do not want to pay the cost. Under the Animal Sentience Act 2022, birds are sentient beings that should not be tortured.

Wildlife management is a devolved matter, and the response provided therefore relates to England only.

All wild birds are protected by law. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to deliberately hurt or kill wild birds or damage their eggs and nests. They can only be removed for a very good reason, such as if they pose a risk to public health and safety.

Before taking action to remove birds, people will sometimes try to deter them by using bird netting to prevent nesting in certain places. These nets are not designed to deliberately kill or injure wildlife and, if installed correctly, they should not do so.

Anybody using a net to deter birds should monitor and maintain it to prevent harm. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 does not mandate checks every 25 hours; it makes it illegal to allow or cause unnecessary suffering to wild or companion animals that are being restrained, permanently or temporarily, by their actions. This includes animals that have been caught in a net.

While we understand that there are concerns that the use of netting to deter birds can cause harm, Defra has no plans to introduce new legislation to prohibit this. Existing protections are already in place and we would encourage anyone who has concerns about the welfare of a trapped animal to report it to the police.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs