End Bird Netting - Protect the Wild

UK Government: It’s Time to End Bird Netting Now

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To Whom It May Concern,

We are writing to call for urgent government action on the widespread use of bird netting across the United Kingdom, a practice that is causing significant and preventable animal suffering while continuing largely unchecked.

Bird netting is commonly presented as a simple and humane solution to prevent birds from nesting on buildings. In reality, it is indiscriminate, inhumane, and ineffective. Rather than deterring wildlife, these nets frequently trap birds, leading to prolonged and distressing deaths.

Birds caught in netting suffer entanglement, injury, starvation, dehydration, and extreme distress. Nestlings are often left to die when parent birds are unable to reach them. This suffering is not isolated, it is happening across the country, often out of sight and without intervention.

The scale of the issue is deeply concerning. The RSPCA alone receives over 1,000 reports every year of birds trapped in netting. This figure is likely to represent only a fraction of the true scale, as many incidents go unreported or unseen. Despite this, there have been no meaningful prosecutions.

This points to a clear and serious failure of enforcement.

While legislation such as the Animal Welfare Act 2006 exists to protect animals from unnecessary suffering, it is not being effectively applied in the context of bird netting. Authorities often lack clear guidance, responsibility is poorly defined, and cases are rarely pursued. As a result, birds are left without meaningful protection in practice, and those responsible face little to no accountability.

This situation is unacceptable.

The suffering caused by bird netting is entirely preventable. It is indiscriminate, affecting both common and protected species, and it represents a systemic failure to uphold existing animal welfare laws.

We therefore urge the UK Government to take immediate action to address this issue through clear regulation, enforcement, and long-term reform.

At a minimum, we are calling for the following:

- Mandatory physical checks of bird netting at least every 24-25 hours, in line with minimum welfare standards set by DEFRA for captive animals.
- The removal of any netting that cannot be fully inspected, or where any part of the netting is not visible or accessible.
- Enforcement of existing legal requirements to repair or remove damaged, poorly maintained, or hazardous netting.
- Clear guidance for police, RSPCA, and SSPCA on how to investigate and prosecute offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 where birds are trapped or allowed to suffer.
- The adoption of humane alternatives, such as rigid metal mesh with appropriate hole sizes, alongside enforcement measures to ensure birds are not sealed inside structures during installation.
- A long-term commitment to phase out and ultimately end the use of bird netting as a method of bird control in the UK.

This is not simply a matter of best practice, it is a matter of legal and moral responsibility. The current lack of oversight allows preventable suffering to continue on a large scale.

We urge the Government to recognise the seriousness of this issue and to act decisively to ensure that wildlife protection is properly upheld.

Yours faithfully,

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UK Government: It’s Time to End Bird Netting Now

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