First published: 29 November 2022
The EFRA Committee has launched an inquiry into species reintroduction, looking at the role this can play in supporting nature recovery and biodiversity, as well as how to manage any conflicts with other land users. We want to hear your experiences and evidence to ensure members' views are reflected in the NFU's response.
A species reintroduction is the return of a plant, animal, or fungi to an area from which it has been lost.
Reintroduction aims to re-establish a viable population of the species within its natural range.
The process can be beneficial, but can also present a risk of causing adverse environmental, economic, and social impacts. Many farmers will be interested in these benefits but also rightly concerned about the potential impact of a reintroduction on their business and on food production.
6 January 2023
This consultation has now closed.
24 November 2022
The NFU is responding to EFRA's inquiry into species reintroduction and we want to hear from you.
We recognise that reintroductions can play a role in delivering nature recovery, however, there are concerns about the adverse impacts a reintroduction could have and the challenges of predicting reintroduction outcomes through, for example, goals or targets, before populations are released or established
We've outlined our position in a draft response, which corresponds to the 8 questions posed by the EFRA Committee into how to facilitate and manage species reintroduction.
Read our draft response in full: EFRA inquiry | Species Reintroduction – NFU draft response
To help shape the NFU's response to the inquiry, please send feedback and comments to [email protected] by 15 December.
More information on species reintroductions, and the 2021 guidance for a reintroduction, can be found on the government's website: GOV.UK | Reintroductions and conservation translocations in England: code, guidance and forms.
4 November 2022
The EFRA Committee opened an inquiry into the benefits of species reintroduction, and how to balance these with any potential negative impacts on other land-users and local communities.
The inquiry will focus on 8 questions ranging from how to ensure local communities and landowners are consulted on reintroduction proposals, to what the government can do to prevent unregulated species reintroductions, and what we can learn from previous species reintroduction programmes.
The full list of questions can be viewed on the UK Parliament website: UK Parliament | Call for evidence – Species Reintroduction.
This inquiry is currently accepting evidence until the 6 January 2023 and will be welcoming submissions from anyone with answers to the questions in the call for evidence.
The NFU will be submitting evidence to represent members views.
Once you have submitted your query someone from NFU CallFirst will contact you. If needed, your query will then be passed to the appropriate NFU policy team.
