Tag: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 May 2023.

Upland farmers will benefit from improved access to the government’s farming schemes.

Upland farmers from Exmoor to the Lake District will benefit from improved access to the government’s farming schemes, with increased payment rates and improved options under Countryside Stewardship.

Upland farmers play a vital role in keeping the nation fed while protecting the environment, and government is committed to making sure that their interests are protected and represented in the new faming schemes being delivered now that Britain has left the EU and is free from the bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy.

The changes announced today by the Secretary of State for Food and Farming follow direct feedback from the sector, and will help to support them as sustainable food producers and custodians of England’s most-loved landscapes for years to come.

Following feedback from uplands farmers and industry representatives, the government is:

• Making payment rates in environmental land management schemes equal for both upland and lowland farms where they are carrying out the same actions. This means increased rates for upland farmers in four Countryside Stewardship options.
• Reviewing and amending a further seven Countryside Stewardship options make them more accessible to upland farmers.
• Improving engagement with upland farmers with focused advice and support to help them access schemes.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

I want to pay tribute to our upland farmers who not only deliver some of our finest produce, but also act as the guardians of some of our country’s most iconic landscapes.

As we work to deliver a fairer, more sustainable farming system outside the EU, we are determined to make sure their interests are at the heart of these efforts. That’s why we’ve set out a range of new support to ensure that they feel the benefits of our new schemes for years to come.

Secretary of State for Food and Farming Thérèse Coffey said:

The uplands are a hugely important part of our English landscape and heritage and upland farmers are crucial for our rural economy.

We’ve worked closely with upland farmers from day one, and they’ve told me personally what further support they need, so today we’re further responding to their feedback with increased payments, an improved offer and more engagement to ensure they are at the centre of our schemes.

These changes will support the delivery of the government’s pledge to ensure there is something for every type of farmer in their new schemes, as direct land-based payments are phased out.

Rewarding farmers for low inputs on grasslands in upland areas, which previously earned farmers £98 per hectare, will increase to £151 – the same payment farmers elsewhere receive. At the upper end of the scale, creation of upland wood pasture will increase from £333 per hectare to £544 to align payments for upland and lowland farmers.

Following feedback from farmers, there will also be improvements made to existing offers within Countryside Stewardship, with details to follow as part of the full 2024 offer in the summer.

Today’s announcement follows significant work to make sure that upland farmers are at the centre of England’s farming policies.

Upland farmers can:

• Get paid for over 130 relevant actions under the Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive from 2024. This will include new moorland and upland peat action, with considerably higher payments for moorlands in good environmental condition
• Extend their Higher Level Stewardship agreements for five years running alongside Countryside Stewardship or SFI agreements, allowing them to get paid for more actions and take advantage of price increases
• Apply for the second round of the Landscape Recovery scheme, which is open to individual or groups of land managers
• Apply for upland Wildlife Offers for a range of management options that focus on providing habitats for farm wildlife
• Apply for the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme if they are in an AONB, National Park or the Broads.
• Express an interesting in a free vet visit to reduce costs and improve productivity.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 May 2023.

Animal welfare to be enhanced with launch of the Animal Sentience Committee and consultation on penalty notices.

• Five new members will be appointed to form the first-ever Animal Sentience Committee
• Committee’s establishment ensures animal welfare remains at the heart of government policy
• Government also launches consultation on expanding enforcement  mechanisms for animal health and welfare offences

The first-ever animal sentience committee was formally launched today with the appointment of five new members, the government has announced (25 May 2023).

The Animal Sentience Committee is fully independent and will support Parliament in assessing how well policy decision-making across Government effectively considers animal welfare. The appointment of the five new members marks the next step in the delivery of a key government manifesto commitment to legislate for sentience and builds on the government’s strong track record on animal welfare.

The government is also launching an eight-week public consultation on introducing penalty notices to bolster enforcement for animal health and welfare offences – meaning those who commit offences such as importing illegal animal products could face fines of up to £5,000.

Giving enforcement bodies the option to issue penalty notices provides a middle-ground enforcement option between the current routes of giving out advice and guidance, and pursuing prosecution. Bridging this gap means a fairer and more consistent approach to protecting animals from harm.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

“In this country, we pride ourselves on our high standards of animal welfare, and we have introduced powerful laws to maintain them.

“We are delivering on our manifesto promises and continue to explore ways to enhance our position as a global leader on animal welfare.”

Commenting on the appointments, the Chair of the Animal Sentience Committee, Michael Seals, said:

“The establishment of the Animal Sentience Committee is an important moment for animal welfare in this country.

“Our five new members will collectively bring a range of varied and valuable experience across veterinary and animal welfare, playing a key role in helping to bring these considerations to the forefront of policy decision making.

“We have bold plans to improve animal health and welfare and I look forward to working closely with the Committee to deliver these ambitions.”

The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and we are fully committed to delivering our manifesto commitments on animal welfare, building on the action we’ve already taken including increasing animal cruelty sentences, recognising the sentience of animals in law, banning glue traps and extending the Ivory Act.

Alongside these new measures, we are also supporting Private Members’ Bills currently before Parliament banning the import of detached shark fins, banning the import of hunting trophies and banning the advertising and offering for sale here of unacceptably low animal welfare activities abroad.

For more information on the penalty notice consultation and to respond, visit: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/animal-health-and-welfare/penalty-notices-for-ahw-offences-in-england

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 May 2023.

Environment Agency Chief Executive John Curtin chaired the latest National Drought Group meeting on 24 May.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 24 May 2023.

New legislation to allow the movement of large oak trees and trade within the operational zones and boundaries in place to help manage Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) is being introduced today (24 May).

OPM is a tree pest first identified in London in 2006 which has spread to some surrounding counties in the South-East of England. Its caterpillars feed on the leaves of several species of oak trees, causing them to lose their leaves, negatively impacting their growth, and making them more vulnerable to other stresses, such as drought. When touched by members of the public, they can cause itchy rashes, eye, and throat irritations. The period between June and August provides the greatest risk to health as this is when the caterpillars emerge.

The Forestry Commission has in place operational zones and boundaries aimed at managing OPM. In March, in response to government surveillance, the Established Area in which OPM is established and the Buffer Zone in which an annual programme of OPM management takes place, was expanded.

From today, a new demarcated area will be established around the Buffer Zone and Established Area, enabling large oak trees (girth at 1.2m above the root collar of 8cm or more) to be moved within this boundary, provided that the trees are moved by professional operators and that biosecurity requirements are met along with movement restrictions.

Professor Nicola Spence, UK Chief Plant Health Officer, said:

Healthy oak trees are a vital component of a biodiverse and thriving environmental landscape. They are Great Britain’s most important tree for species biodiversity, supporting over 2000 species of bird, mammal, fungi, invertebrate, bryophyte and lichen.

This is why it is essential that to protect the health of our oak trees, we have regulations in place for the movement of large oak trees within the zones and boundaries designed to manage Oak Processionary Moth.

Andrew Hoppit, Oak Processionary Moth Project Manager, said:

Oak Processionary Moth is a tree pest which can have a negative impact on tree health, and which can cause itchy rashes, eye, and throat irritations, when in physical contact with humans and pets.

While we understand the importance of professional operators being able to move large oak trees, it is vital that we have in place stringent biosecurity requirements to ensure a risk-based approach for moving these trees.

Large oak trees will be able to be moved within the established area, or into the established area from the buffer zone, providing the following biosecurity requirements are met:

Biosecurity competence – Professional operators must demonstrate that they meet the Plant Health Management Standard evidenced through membership of the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme or provision of a Ready to Plant approval from Fera Science Ltd for each consignment to be moved. They must also demonstrate evidence of ongoing on-site monitoring for OPM and inspection of OPM prior to movement.

Official inspections – Professional operators must keep accurate records of the of the contact details of those receiving large oak trees, including the delivery address and contact details. They must store this information for a minimum of three years to ensure traceability of movements. This information can be recorded using the Post planting Inspections form .

Large oak trees will be able to be moved within the buffer zone if they meet two additional biosecurity requirements:

Phytosanitary treatments – Professional operators must have a robust control regime in place with appropriate phytosanitary treatments. These treatments must be applied in line with Defra Guidance on application of phytosanitary treatments for the control of Oak Processionary Moth (Thaumetopoea processionea) 2023 and records of all treatment applications must be kept for a minimum of three years.

Post-planting inspections – Professional operators must disclose the potential for post-planting inspection as part of the new legislation to buyers at the time of purchase. A proportion of high-risk large oak movements within the buffer zone will be subject to post-planting inspections by the plant health inspectors.

To protect the area free from the pest it will not be permitted to:

Move large oak trees with OPM
Move large oak trees from the Established Area or Buffer Zone into the Area Free from the Pest
Move large oak trees from the established area into the buffer zone
Move large oak trees from the established area or buffer zone into the 10km exclusion zone at the outer edge of the buffer zone boundary
A Government programme to manage OPM has been in place since 2012. Over the last five years, £10 million has been invested into oak health, including the management of oak processionary moth, as well as research to develop novel control techniques and new policy responses.

Professional operators who are growing or moving large oak trees, and who are impacted by the new movement restrictions, should consult with their local Plant Health inspector or the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate for further advice. For further information on the new movement restrictions, please view our digital guide and video explaining these changes. Please also view our interactive map showing the locations of recent confirmed reports of OPM and the national management zones to see how the changes affect you.

This announcement follows Plant Health Week 2023 which raises awareness of the impacts of invasive non-native species and the simple things that everyone can do to help protect the environment. By identifying threats such as pests and diseases, we protect the benefits plants provide to the public, to wildlife, the environment and our economy. More information can be found on the Plant Health Action.org website.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 24 May 2023.

Plans are announced in response to independent Rock Review to support tenant farmers at the heart of the rural economy.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 24 May 2023.

Code will protect animals and habitats and help people enjoy England’s coast responsibly.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 May 2023.

Hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, killer whale and sperm whale set to be protected under Ivory Act extension.

• The five endangered CITES-listed species to receive greater legal protections under world-leading Ivory Act 2018
• Key manifesto commitment met as part of a wider UK drive on international conservation

Hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, killer whale (orca) and sperm whale are set to receive greater legal protections under the UK’s world-leading ban on importing, exporting and dealing in items containing ivory, the Government has announced today (Tuesday 23 May 2023) – delivering on a key animal welfare manifesto commitment.

Hippopotamus is the species most at risk from the trade in its ivory after elephants. The other species are already threatened by climate change, and the continuing trade in their ivory may exacerbate these threats and make their long-term survival less likely.

Putting the UK at the forefront of global conservation efforts, today’s consultation response confirms plans to extend the Ivory Act 2018 to ban all dealing in ivory from these species, including imports and exports.

The UK’s world-leading Ivory Act is one of the toughest bans on elephant ivory sales in the world, with some of the strongest enforcement measures. Those found guilty of breaching the ban face tough penalties including an unlimited fine or up to five years in jail.

Biodiversity Minister Trudy Harrison said:

“This is a pivotal moment in delivering one of our key manifesto commitments on international conservation.

“The Ivory Act is one of the toughest bans of its kind in the world and by extending greater legal protections to five more species, we are sending a clear message the commercial trade of ivory is totally unacceptable.

“The UK has long led the way in conservation and our ban shows continued global leadership in doing all we can to protect the world’s most endangered species.”

Steve Backshall MBE said:

“This is an important moment in the conservation of these iconic species.

There is widespread public support for the Ivory ban and today by extending it further we are sending a clear message that there is no place in the UK for this vile trade.”

Frances Goodrum, Head of Campaigns and Programmes at IFAW UK said:

“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the UK Ivory Act coming into force, IFAW UK are encouraged by early indications that the ban is having a significant impact on the trade in elephant ivory.  Yet other species are still poached globally to meet an unnecessary demand for “luxury” ivory products, including the hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, sperm whale and killer whale.  We welcome DEFRA’s decision to extend this powerful legislation, which will go a long way in cracking down on a damaging trade. Today is a good day for conservation and a step change towards international commitments to safeguard our natural world”

The five species are all listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates their trade internationally, and hippopotamus, walrus and sperm whale are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

The announcement today comes following an extensive public consultation and with the one-year anniversary of the successful ivory ban approaching.

Since 6 June 2022, there has been over 6,500 registrations and certificates issued for exempted items so that they continue to form part of our artistic and cultural heritage.

The Government is a world leader in international conservation – with the UK playing a key role supporting the agreement of the ambitious Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in December. The new deal, signed by 195 countries, commits countries to protect 30% of our land and ocean by 2030 and end human-induced extinctions of known threatened species.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 22 May 2023.

Domestic tree seed production is to be ramped up and biosecurity enhanced with new Government funding and measures announced today (Monday 22 May).

The next round of the Domestic Seed Sourcing Grant is set to be allocated, with £747,000 awarded to boost domestic tree seed production, create green jobs, help meet the increased demand for trees and achieve our ambitious net zero targets.

The grant is designed to enhance the quantity, quality and diversity of tree seed sources in England. Most tree seed planted in the UK is of British origin, but evidence suggests that British seed sources may struggle to meet future demand across all species and there are known to be global shortages of tree seed. The grant will boost domestic tree seed production and support green jobs, helping meet the increased demand for trees.

Alongside, in line with the GB Plant Biosecurity Strategy, the Biosecure Procurement Requirement Pilot has been extended to further Government tree-planting funds to address risks to our biosecurity. Applicants to these funds, such as local authorities, must commit to sourcing their trees from suppliers who are either accredited under the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme or who have passed a Ready to Plant assessment, as provided by Fera Science Ltd for their order, to ensure they are disease and pest free to minimise future threats of invasive species and tree loss.

Trudy Harrison, Forestry Minister, said:

This funding will improve the diversity of England’s seed supply, increasing the range of species. This will be crucial for creating diverse and resilient woodlands, which are better able to adapt to future climate conditions as well as emerging pests and diseases.

Increasing seed supply will also be essential to meeting our target to treble tree planting rates by the end of this Parliament.

Richard Stanford, Forestry Commission Chief Executive, said:

We need to have healthy and thriving trees to help tackle some of society’s biggest challenges of climate change and nature decline.  Protecting our treescape from biosecurity risks is vital to ensuring resilient trees and woodlands.

Increasing funding for seed sourcing will help manage the risk of pests and diseases, minimising net loss to the existing treescape and protecting our investment in diversifying and expanding tree cover in England.

Nicola Spence, Chief Plant Health Officer, said:

A healthy, high quality, and diverse treescape is integral to meet our target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

This vital funding will  diversify our domestic seed source supply and reducing the need to import seeds from abroad. In addition, by extending our Biosecurity Procurement Requirement for applicants to the government’s tree planting funds, we will bolster our biosecurity standards and improve the resilience of our trees against harmful pests and diseases.

Eligible activities for the Seed Sourcing grant include:

• Management of existing seed stands – the groups of trees in the landscape from which seed is collected – to ensure they are productive for seed collectors.
• Desk studies and field studies to identify and bring additional seed stands onto the National Register of Basic material.
• Planning and planting of new seed stands.
• Planning and planting of new seed orchards – which are planted using seed or clonal material from known parents outside of the natural landscape in an area convenient for seed collectors.

The Forestry Commission have produced a new Forestry Nursery Directory to help connect people who buy trees with people who grow trees.

Today’s announcement coincides with the Chelsea Flower Show. This year’s RHS Show shines a spotlight on the importance of protecting biodiversity and strengthening and growing native species.

Winners of the first round of the Seed Sourcing Grant include:

• Future Trees Trust’s successful proposal will involve creating a Source-identified seed stand for blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) using seed from the Millennium Seed Bank. They will also carry out a grafting pilot on beech (Fagus sylvatica), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and field maple (Acer campestre) to address lack of grafting knowledge for these species, and identify beech and hornbeam plus trees across southern Britain (regions of provenance 30 and 40). Beech plus trees will then be grafted for a Qualified Clonal Seed Orchard to be planted after the funded project ends.
• Jo Clark, Head of Research at Future Trees Trust said: ‘We are delighted to have received funding from the Forestry Commission to improve seed supply of beech and hornbeam.  The grant has enabled us to employ a new research technician to locate plus trees of these species.  We aim to create the first qualified seed orchard for beech with this funding. We are also using blackthorn seed from the RBG Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank to establish a seed stand for blackthorn.’
• Woodland Trust have been awarded funding to identify, ground truth, and register new Seed Stands across the Woodland Trust England estate. In particular, their project will focus on desk and field studies to identify stands of guelder rose (Viburnum opulus), hazel (Corylus avellana) (specifically non-405), holly (Ilex aquifolium), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), small leaved lime (Tilia cordata), whitebeam (Sorbus aria), service tree (Sorbus torminalis) and yew (Taxus baccata).
• Duchy of Cornwall will bring an existing Selected sessile oak (Quercus petraea) Seed Stand (region of provenance 40) into management, through thinning, mulching, and installing deer fencing.

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 18 May 2023.

Environment Agency’s National Fisheries Laboratory carries out crucial work to curb threats from Prussian carp in UK waters.

As part of Invasive Species week, the Environment Agency has today warned of the threat posed by Prussian carp and other non-native species as it urges anglers and the wider public to report suspected sightings to its National Fisheries Laboratory for investigation.

Over 2,000 non-native plants and animals have been introduced into the UK from all over the world. Most are harmless, but almost 15% become invasive, non-native species which spread and have a harmful impact on the environment. This includes fish that can: predate upon native fish and other wildlife; compete with them for food; change our aquatic ecosystems, and carry novel parasites and diseases.

The Environment Agency’s expert team at the National Fisheries Laboratory continues to lead the way on the identification of non-native species and are international leaders in the development of tools and techniques to contain, control and eradicate those that are high risk.

This includes work on Prussian carp – a species native to Asia, central and Eastern Europe that has recently been detected in UK waters. Once introduced, Prussian carp can rapidly expand their population size, leading to negative impacts on native species and ecosystems. They can out compete native fish species for food and habitat, and also interbreed with other species, which threatens our own populations.

The EA’s Fisheries Laboratory is investigating all suspected cases in the UK and, as part of a national containment programme, fish movement controls have been placed on all waters with confirmed Prussian carp. Work is also underway to establish how they have entered the UK and assess their distribution across England.

The latest investigations from the EA’s specialist Fisheries Laboratory team has also detected for the first time ever two additional, similar-looking non-native fish species known commonly as ‘ginbuna’ and ‘nigorobuna’.

Also known as silver crucian carp, ‘ginbuna’ are native to Asia but have been recorded in Europe and North America; whereas ‘nigorobuna’ are native to Japan. Impacts resulting from introductions of ginbuna and nigorobuna are unclear but given their similarity to Prussian carp, the EA believes they are likely to carry similar environmental risks and are working at pace to understand these.

Dr Graeme Storey, Environment Agency Fisheries Manager said:

Our National Fisheries Laboratory is a vital asset that carries out incredibly important work to improve our understanding of the distribution and management of potentially harmful invasive, non-native species. But it’s crucial that anglers and members of the public report suspected sightings so we can investigate.

Funded directly by rod licence income, our work helps to protect the wider environment, restore river health, and generally make angling a more enjoyable experience for all.

Dr Gareth D Davies, Technical Specialist at the Environment Agency’s National Fisheries Laboratory said:

The Environment Agency is remaining vigilant and our lab is working hard to ensure robust detection and mitigation measures are in place to determine the risk posed by Prussian carp, ginbuna or nigorobuna to our native stocks and the wider environment.

We encourage fishery owners, managers and anglers to report any suspected cases of Prussian Carp, ginbuna, nigorobuna and other non-native species to us as soon as possible.

This allows us to respond promptly to reports, limiting the harm to native fish species and helping our specialists research invasive species to prevent further spread.

All suspected cases should be reported to the Environment Agency at non-natives@environment-agency.gov.uk or to the 24 hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

It is illegal to import any of these fish into the UK due to the risk they pose to native fish populations and fisheries. These species have been introduced to many countries, either intentionally or inadvertently, due to their similarities with crucians, brown goldfish and carp hybrids which makes identifying them extremely difficult.

How to recognise a Prussian carp and related species:

Prussian carp, ginbuna and nigorobuna look very similar to brown goldfish and some carp hybrids. However, a number of features can be used to raise suspicion of these fish for a more detailed examination:

• Prussian carp, ginbuna and nigorobuna are all deep-bodied, usually no more than 35 cm in length with relatively large scales.
• They are often silvery in colour, but larger specimens can darken to a golden brown.
• They lack barbules, which distinguishes them from carp (Cyprinus carpio). The image below highlights some of the features that can be used to help distinguish Prussian carp from other similar fish.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 18 May 2023.

Farmers and landowners will receive funding and support for projects to protect and restore thousands of acres of the English landscape.