6 Rejected

Include a register of supported and unsupported reintroduction species in the Strategy, reviewed annually.

Recommendation
Using evidence from the England Species Reintroductions Taskforce and its Stakeholder Forum, the Government should agree on the plant and animal species it is willing and able to support the reintroduction of in England and bring this information together in a register. This register should be included in the Strategy and should be reviewed by the Taskforce every 12 months. This register should also contain details of the species the Government does not support the reintroduction of in England. The Strategy should include a long-term vision for each species the Government supports, and justification for the reasoning behind those it explicitly does not. (Paragraph 20) Species Reintroduction 21 Strategic vision
Government Response Summary
The government rejected the recommendation, stating that reintroduction is not a priority and therefore it will not produce a strategy or a species register. It reiterated its focus on assessing proposals on a case-by-case basis and existing best practice guidance.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government Rejected
Given that reintroduction is not a priority for the government, we will not be producing a strategy or a list of priority species for reintroduction. Proposals for reintroductions, and the suitability of the species proposed and associated risks, are highly dependent on the specific circumstances in which they are made. For example, the existing species assemblage, environmental conditions and socio-economic circumstances will all be factors and significantly influence decisions as to whether it is appropriate to reintroduce a species in a particular location or locations. We have set out best practice guidance in the government’s Code for Reintroductions which has been published on gov.uk alongside information on applying for a licence as appropriate.
Timeline
Recommendation age 2.9 yrs
Report published 11 Jul 2023