WALES could be the first country in the UK to license game shoots – a move that has prompted concern about the impact excessive regulation could have on the rural economy.

A consultation, launched by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) on behalf of the Welsh government, proposed that a licensing system for the release of pheasants and red-legged partridge is put in place.

If implemented, game bird releasing will only be allowed under licence and has raised fears that the devolved administration in Scotland could follow suit, given the Scottish Greens' influence at Holyrood.

Rural campaigners said this would have a 'devastating negative impact' on biodiversity and the livelihoods of those living in the Welsh countryside. Shooting in Wales is worth £75m annually to its rural economy.

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) described the plan as a 'significant threat' to the countryside, while Countryside Alliance Wales said it was concerned that the devolved government could push forward with 'burdensome' legislation.

The proposals, published on March 27, have a 12-week consultation period, also include a licence fee.

BASC Wales director, Steve Griffiths, said the proposals were 'the next step towards the endgame of shutting down all shooting in Wales'. “This is the thin end of the wedge," he said.

"The introduction of a ban and licensing regime in Wales presents future governments in Wales and across the UK with an open goal to introduce further restrictions.

“The proposals as they stand leave the future of shooting in Wales under significant threat, with hundreds of jobs and businesses, and hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of conservation projects at risk."

Director of Countryside Alliance Wales, Rachel Evans, said it was vital the Welsh government awaited the evidence from the consultation. “The consultation sadly seems to have a predetermined outcome, and that regardless of the evidence the minister is determined to see all shoots in Wales licensed."

However, NRW's regulation chief, Nadia De Longhi, told the BBC that the regulatory body wanted to create a new system that was 'proportionate and workable'.

"We've used the available evidence to consider how best to manage any ecological impacts of game bird releases without disproportionately compromising the environmental, social, and economic benefits provided by game shooting. This is not about stopping game-bird release."