The article – ‘Ministers urged not to play culture wars over species reintroductions in England’ – quotes Dr Andy Clements, who runs the species reintroduction taskforce, as saying he has been frustrated by the debate over reintroducing species because it has been based on “anecdote, not evidence”.
Read the letter below:
To the editor,
Although not all species reintroduction will affect farming, the NFU has always tried to highlight the potential impacts on the many benefits that the countryside, food and farming delivers, if no effective management plan has been put in place.
We acknowledge that each species is different, and we believe those which are considered to potentially have an impact on livestock worrying and attacks, spread of disease, and loss and damage to land and crops, needs to be fully understood by everyone involved before any reintroduction can be considered.
What the NFU has been asking is for the government to develop and implement a framework which outlines the process it will follow when managing species reintroductions in England to help minimise impact, risks and any unintended consequences. We also ask that where it is shown there will be impact that this is properly funded.
Any framework should clearly explain what steps the government will take when managing species reintroductions and in what order, including a national impact assessment, national stakeholder consultation, and the development of a species-specific strategy.
This would enable targeted, controlled effective species reintroduction while protecting our countryside, our livestock and our crops.
Richard Bramley
NFU environment forum chair
