Risk-based species reintroduction

Absence of risk-based categorisation for species in reintroduction registers, leading to undifferentiated management processes.

20 items 2 sources 1 inquiry
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Risk-based species reintroduction has been flagged across 2 independent accountability sources:

1 inquiry rec 19 committee recs

This issue has been identified by multiple independent accountability bodies, suggesting it is a recurring concern.

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#12 — Subject high-risk reintroductions to independent impact assessments and consult local communities.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: We recommend that the Government should be clear how the classification of species determines the requirements for stakeholder consultation and involvement of the Department. We recommend that all species categorised as high-risk reintroductions should be subject to a national, independent …
Gov response: Assessing applications for release licences on a case-by-case basis allows for the nature of the species, along with the circumstances and risks of release, to be comprehensively considered in response to a specific proposal. Further, …
Not Accepted
#11 — Categorise species in the reintroduction register by risk and establish differentiated management processes.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: We recommend that the register contained within the new Strategy should include species categorised according to the risks related to their reintroduction. Of those that it has not ruled out, the Government should categorise regularly requested species into low, medium …
Gov response: 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 …
Not Accepted
#10 — Identify commonly requested low-risk species for inclusion in the reintroduction register.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: The current system for reintroducing species is overly bureaucratic, hindering nature recovery. There are many species—particularly amongst plants, fungi, and insects—that pose little or no risk. Identifying and supporting those low-risk species would give confidence to stakeholders seeking to reintroduce …
Gov response: 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 …
Not Accepted
#21 — Require risk assessments and management plans before granting protected status to species.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: If a reintroduced species is to be given protected status (as in the case of beavers), a risk assessment and management plan should be in place in advance of the protected status being granted. The protected status of beavers should …
Gov response: The government’s approach to the management of beaver was informed by a programme over work over five years, including a trial to investigate the impacts of wild living beavers, and a public consultation on our …
Partially Accepted
#20 — Make budgetary provision for sufficient support and funding for affected land managers.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: Those affected by the reintroduction of species, including farmers and land managers, must have access to sufficient support and funding to prevent and deal with potential negative impacts. Budgetary provision should be made for this as part of the Government’s …
Gov response: We would expect any release proposal in England to demonstrate how it will ensure appropriate management through the provision of staff or funding, and engagement. We also see management groups and local stakeholder involvement as …
Not Accepted
#19 — Form and fund localised rapid response consultant networks to address reintroduced species impacts.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: The Government should implement localised control and management systems by forming and funding a network of rapid response consultants by 2026. The rapid response consultants should be members of the local community and be empowered to make prompt decisions on …
Gov response: We would expect any release proposal in England to demonstrate how it will ensure appropriate management through the provision of staff or funding, and engagement. We also see management groups and local stakeholder involvement as …
Not Accepted
#18 — Implement government-funded compensation and rapid response for land managers impacted by reintroductions.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: We have seen first-hand in Bavaria that crop damage compensation and mitigating works, such as substantial structural changes to the drainage system, were major calls on the public purse, requiring bold decisions and significant funding. The annual budget for compensating …
Gov response: We would expect any release proposal in England to demonstrate how it will ensure appropriate management through the provision of staff or funding, and engagement. We also see management groups and local stakeholder involvement as …
Not Accepted
#17 — Revise and reissue species reintroduction code and guidance by January 2024.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: The Government should revise the species reintroduction code and guidance by January 2024 and reissue it alongside the new Strategy. The revised code and guidance should be available via the species reintroduction hub when it is launched. (Paragraph 46) Management …
Gov response: The government’s ‘Reintroductions and other conservation translocations: code and guidance for England’ is based on international best practice guidance, and was first published in 2021. We do not consider the need to revise it at …
Not Accepted
#16 — Update the 2021 species reintroduction guidance to reflect new risks and standards.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: The Government’s 2021 code and guidance for species reintroductions form a valuable tool, but it must be revised and updated to maintain high project standards, for example in relation to assisted colonisation, disease risks, exit strategies, impact assessments, large predators …
Gov response: The government’s ‘Reintroductions and other conservation translocations: code and guidance for England’ is based on international best practice guidance, and was first published in 2021. We do not consider the need to revise it at …
Not Accepted
#15 — Clarify and resolve the conservation translocation licensing regime inconsistencies.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: There is little support for the current conservation translocation licensing regime: on the one hand some stakeholders said that it is too bureaucratic, and, on the other we heard that the existing system is not stringent enough. As a priority, …
Gov response: Assessing applications for release licences on a case-by-case basis allows for the nature of the species, along with the circumstances and risks of release, to be comprehensively considered in response to a specific proposal. Further, …
Not Accepted
#14 — Establish an online species reintroduction hub by June 2024, integrating register and licensing conditions.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: The Government should create an online species reintroduction hub by June 2024, supported by the England Species Reintroductions Taskforce and Stakeholder Forum, for parties interested in the reintroduction of species. The hub should be a one-stop shop for good practice …
Gov response: 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 …
Not Accepted
#13 — Central species reintroduction hub would improve collaboration and coordination for recovery.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: Creating a central species reintroduction hub designed to be a one-stop shop for interested parties would be a positive step forward to improve collaboration and coordination in this policy area. The value of any hub lies in its ability to …
Gov response: 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 …
Not Accepted
#9 — Publicise Stakeholder Forum sign-up and terms of reference by October 2023.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: A sign-up opportunity and terms of reference for the Stakeholder Forum should be publicised by October 2023 with the first meeting taking place before 2024. The Stakeholder Forum should inform the risk-based categorisation of species and be consulted before changes …
Gov response: The Reintroductions Taskforce was established in 2021 and a chair appointed in September 2022. It intends to meet six times in 2023. Its terms of reference agreed in 2022 have been published online in a …
Not Addressed
#8 — Engage urgently with stakeholders and publish a protocol for Taskforce consultation and advice.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: Urgent stakeholder engagement is required to build relationships with key individuals; these stakeholders should have an open invitation to join the Stakeholder Forum and be able to feed into Taskforce decisions through it. The Government should be clear when the …
Gov response: The Reintroductions Taskforce was established in 2021 and a chair appointed in September 2022. It intends to meet six times in 2023. Its terms of reference agreed in 2022 have been published online in a …
Not Addressed
#7 — England Species Reintroductions Taskforce undermined by slow establishment and lack of stakeholder engagement.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: We welcome the formation of the Defra England Species Reintroductions Taskforce. However, we regret that the positive impact it has the potential to create has been undermined by its slow establishment and resultant lack of stakeholder engagement. The Defra proposed …
Gov response: The Reintroductions Taskforce was established in 2021 and a chair appointed in September 2022. It intends to meet six times in 2023. Its terms of reference agreed in 2022 have been published online in a …
Not Addressed
#6 — Include a register of supported and unsupported reintroduction species in the Strategy, reviewed annually.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
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 …
Gov response: 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 …
Not Accepted
#5 — Publish a long-term strategy on species reintroduction, including a priority species list, by January 2024.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: The Government should produce a list of priority species for reintroduction as part of a long-term strategy on species reintroduction in tandem with the England Species Reintroductions Taskforce. This will allow stakeholders to plan applications ahead of time and have …
Gov response: 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 …
Not Accepted
#4 — Failure to provide priority species list hinders biodiversity and reintroduction strategy
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: Despite assurances by the Minister that we would be provided a list of priority species for reintroduction in June, in a letter to the Committee on 14 June the Minister said that the Department does not prioritise species but that …
Gov response: 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 …
Not Accepted
#3 — Government lacks clear vision and support for plant and animal reintroductions
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation: It is unclear which plant and animal reintroductions the Government supports and there is no current long-term vision for how reintroductions fit into the Government’s species abundance targets. This has caused confusion and concern between stakeholders seeking to reintroduce certain …
Gov response: 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 …
Not Accepted
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