Five year plan to control deer
The Welsh government has published a five-year action plan to bring the growing number of wild deer across Wales under control.
The plan calls for a joint approach by public bodies and private landowners to control the effects of wild deer on vulnerable habitats, forestry and agriculture. The plan was informed by the development of a Strategy for Wild Deer Management In Wales by Forestry Commission Wales, the Deer Initiative and the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW).
Programs for the expansion of countryside and woodland have allowed deer to thrive in recent years. While wild deer are not as widely dispersed in or such great numbers as the rest of the UK, their numbers and spread are noted to be on the rise. As a result, their impact in terms of environmental damage is rising sharply. Deer can also cause road traffic accidents and have been known to transmit Tuberculosis. Their essentially mobile nature further increases these threats.
Commenting, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development John Griffiths said “The action plan stresses the importance of a co-ordinated approach to the management of wild deer involving private landowners, public bodies and non-governmental organisations,”
“Only by working in partnership can many of the actions be delivered and I am pleased to see this reflected in the involvement of a wide range of groups and organisations in the production of this plan.”
The objectives of the action plan include:
• Raising awareness of wild deer and their impacts (both positive and negative).
• Developing effective methods for monitoring the presence of wild deer.
• Developing a more collaborative approach to managing wild deer.
• Promoting best practice for population management to ensure the welfare of the deer.
• Encouraging the reporting of road collisions involving deer.
The actions will be monitored annually and a progress report published. The plan will be reviewed and updated after five years in 2016.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
