A spokesman said the decision had been taken following an increase in requests for large-scale bird releases, which prompted a review.
Head of safety, risk and compliance Lewis Dale said while the decision may seem heavy-handed, the airport was trying to mitigate risks posed by a large number of birds flying off track and into critical areas.
‘If an incident occurred, resulting in significant damage to aircraft and potentially loss of life, there may be a question of liability if adequate measures had not been taken to prevent it,’ he said.
‘Large numbers of pigeons being released poses a specific risk because they will initially form a large flock, and therefore present a greater hazard to aircraft than individual birds. They are also large and fly at relatively high speed, making it more difficult for the pilot or birds to take evasive action, and at the height which aircraft will be at during the critical phase of take-off and landing.’
He added airport management had asked organisers to provide risk assessments, but these did not address the potential hazard to aviation.
The local regulator supported the decision.
There were three requests for large-scale releases in 2022, involving 13,000 pigeons. This rose to 17 events in 2023, and 29 requests last year, for nearly 25,000 pigeons.
They believed the rise was due to additional post-Brexit requirements in France, which made Guernsey a more attractive and less costly option.
The States’ Trading Supervisory Board was not consulted over the decision, which was taken by Guernsey Airport senior management, who have operational responsibility for safety in local airspace.
The first race of the season had been due to be held a week on Saturday by the Thames North & Eastern Counties Flying Club.
Royal Pigeon Racing Association Guernsey site agent Rene Archer said he would now be talking to deputies to see if anybody would fight their cause.
‘The response from the general public has been really positive and the fanciers in England are wanting to help too,’ he said.
‘Hopefully someone in the States can get this stupid ban lifted. The birds fly north when they are released – away from the airport. It is absolutely ridiculous.’
Guernsey Ports’ decision ‘grossly unfair’
The Royal Pigeon Racing Association’s chief executive was devastated to lose racing on Guernsey and said the decision was ‘grossly unfair’.
The Guernsey Press revealed yesterday that Guernsey Ports had enforced an eight-mile exclusion zone on releasing racing pigeons, making racing from Guernsey impossible.
RPRA CEO Chris Sutton said the Guernsey Ports decision had come out of the blue and put a sudden end to a relationship that went back 70 years, with no consultation.
‘We first heard of it when one of the local clubs were putting in applications for a race as they have done for years and when they contacted Guernsey Airport in advance they were simply told “no liberations” [the technical term for releasing racing pigeons],’ he said.
Mr Sutton then contacted Guernsey Airport and was told by Lewis Dale of Guernsey Ports that the airport was being reclassified from a licensed to a certified aerodrome and he had no existing risk assessments data from the RPRA.
‘I sent him all the certified information, and he replied that the information from clubs were poorly documented forms, which was causing them extra work and he wanted “evidence-based assurances”.
‘How can we provide that? They have made it impossible to comply,’ he said.
‘When we release we look at wind direction and visibility. I would have thought an experienced liberator and an experienced air traffic controller should have been able to sort that out over the phone, as they have been.’
Mr Sutton said that Mr Dale also highlighted the risk of avian flu.
‘We already have that risk in the UK,’ said Mr Sutton. ‘And we are fully regulated.’
Based in Gloucestershire, the RPRA is the governing body for pigeon racing in the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II was an enthusiastic pigeon fancier and was association president until her death. Many of her pigeons raced from the Bailiwick.
Mr Sutton said that Guernsey was an extremely important release point for pigeon fanciers across the UK.
‘It is devastating to the sport here in the UK. Guernsey was far enough away without being too far,’ he said.
‘It’s a destination everyone looked forward to. Our only alternative is France, which has EU regulations that make it complicated.’
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