Written evidence submitted by the National Pig Association (SR0022)

January 2023

NPA update to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Inquiry:

“Species re-introduction”

The National Pig Association (NPA) is the representative trade association for British commercial pig producers, is affiliated to the National Farmers Union (NFU) and represents the interests of NFU members that produce pigs and the pig industry interests of its Allied Industry members.

The UK pig industry is worth £1.6 billion at the farm-gate, £5 billion at retail and, considering foodservice, external sales and export values, over £14 billion in total. In 2021, over 287,000 tonnes of British pork was exported around the globe, to over 40 export markets, a trade worth £475 million.

What role should species reintroductions play in the delivery of the government’s biodiversity and nature recovery goals? Should specific objectives/targets be set for species reintroduction?

How can the government maximise the potential benefits from species reintroduction, and ensure the correct species are reintroduced in the correct places?

The NPA does not oppose species re-introduction in general but any schemes must take into account the potential impact on local livestock populations and associated businesses. Threats include predation and spread of disease and, therefore, we would expect licensing authorities to carry out robust risk assessments and ensure that any scheme that is granted permission is monitored closely to understand the impact on the local environment over a suitable period of time. We would also expect that any scheme should have contingency plans in place and ready actions to mitigate any issues should adverse outcomes be experienced.

What role should the Landscape Recovery and Local Nature Recovery Schemes, under the Environmental Land Management Scheme, have in supporting species reintroduction?

N/A – the pig sector, specifically, is unable to access these schemes, although diversified farms that incorporate pigs will be able to.

How effective is current government policy and 2021 guidance in leading and managing species reintroductions? Should any changes be made to its policies and guidance?

What improvements can be made in how local communities, landowners and other land users are engaged and consulted on reintroduction proposals? What practical steps can be taken to reduce conflict with these groups?

There are two wild species types whose introduction have a significant impact on the UK pig sector: wild boar and apex predators.

Wild Boar

The current UK boar population is derived from captive animals that either escaped or were illegally released. An estimated 2,600 animals are now living wild in several breeding populations, although this number is increasing all the time. The largest of these is in the Forest of Dean, but wild boar are also present in parts of South East and South West England, South East Wales and North West Scotland. The Forest of Dean population is carefully managed to protect the local environment but this is not easy or straightforward, and as such the NPA would be vehemently opposed to any wider re-introduction of this species, primarily due to the threat of disease spread.

Risk of disease

If African swine fever (ASF) were to reach the UK and enter the wild boar population, it would be extremely challenging to control the spread and ultimately eradicate it. ASF is a highly contagious viral notifiable disease of domestic and wild pigs, which can result in mortality rates of up to 100%.  It is not a danger to human health, but it has devastating effects on pig populations, farming economies and rural communities. The disease has been found in every continent and its recent rapid spread westwards throughout mainland Europe is hugely concerning for the UK. Similar to a Foot and Mouth outbreak, as ASF is a notifiable disease, an outbreak in the UK would see widescale culling of affected pig herds and loss of vital export markets. The localised restrictions close to an outbreak would affect nearby businesses and tourism. The last two notifiable disease outbreaks that affected pigs in this country (Classical swine fever in 2000 and Foot and Mouth Disease in 2001) cost the UK Government an estimated £3.5 billion.

The Government introduced interim measures in September 2022 to better protect the UK pig herd from ASF by restricting non-commercial pig meat imports from the EU. With efforts at our borders to reduce the risk of ASF we question any intention to increase the wild boar population, which could act as a significant reservoir for disease.

Environment

In addition to disease spread, wild boar populations need to be controlled to protect the local environment. With no natural predators, high levels of reproduction and ideal habitat for food and shelter, the current population growth may continue until the population density reaches a level whereby the population starts to self-regulate through limited food resources.

Forestry England manage the feral wild boar population in the Forest of Dean through culling in order to step into the absent role of a natural predator. Ecologically, boar at low densities can be good for the natural environment. The rooting and wallowing behaviours break-up static eco-systems and allow an increased range of plant species and insect fauna to grow. However, as the density of boar rises the negative issues of boar, such as continually disturbing the same area of ground so that all is left is bare mud and eating insects and other plant material, can be damaging to specific species in the long term.

Monitoring and collaboration

There is a need for better monitoring of wild boar populations across the UK. The Feral Wild Boar Working Group has been set up to improve collaboration between relevant authorities and organisations but it operates without any dedicated budget. It brings together Defra, Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA), NFU, NPA, Forestry England, Natural England and British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC), but its work is restrained by a lack of funding or central data hub on the UK boar population. We also understand there is work in Scotland to understand the wild boar populations and urge Defra to discuss this with devolved colleagues.

Apex predators

Apex predators, such as birds of prey or wolves, present a threat to livestock. The NPA would have significant concerns about the introduction of an apex predator into an area with a high concentration of outdoor sows and piglets.

Not only can predators take piglets, there is also the issue of impact on sow productivity, as is evident on sow units that suffer from fox predation. It is well documented that if sows are disturbed during or soon after giving birth, they are likely to crush, trample or predate their own piglets. We have seen evidence where a sea eagle introduced on the Isle of Wight spent a significant amount of time in and around an outdoor pig unit. The fact that the eagle spent so much time around a pig unit is concerning in itself, and whilst there was no observed evidence of piglet predation in this instance, the sudden appearance of large birds could well impact on sow behaviour.  We are also concerned that once breeding pairs are established, if one happened to be near to an outdoor pig unit, piglets straying from their arks would be easy prey and there would be no way of moving the nest.

There are also secondary impacts on farming businesses’ ability to operate. For example, birds such as eagles will stray from the area they are introduced and nest where they choose. This has the potential to impact normal farming operations, building work or ability to obtain planning permissions. This would be an unacceptable disruption to business for our members.

How could the development of long-term management plans and regulatory regimes for reintroduced species control be improved?

The NPA is concerned that licences for species re-introduction granted by Natural England do not put a sufficient burden of responsibility onto those responsible for the schemes, including ongoing monitoring and contingency plans. For example, a recent application to reintroduce sea eagles in Norfolk was only for five years, which is less time than it takes for breeding pairs to fully establish. Most of the problems that local outdoor pig farmers were likely to experience from stress and predation would potentially begin beyond that timescale, at which point there would be no accountability. Therefore, we need better monitoring of re-introduction schemes, over a longer period, so that we can measure their potential impact adequately. We also believe that as part of this contingency plans should be in place to deal with adverse effects of the reintroduction.

What can the government do to help prevent unregulated species reintroductions?

The Government needs to improve communications and introduce stronger penalties under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the Deer Act. There have been recent incidents where wild boar have escaped from inadequately fenced areas or deliberately released and it is vital that landowners understand their responsibilities, the risk such activity poses to the national pig herd, and know that they will face criminal proceedings if they break the law.

What lessons could the UK government and Natural England learn from reintroduction in other jurisdictions, in UK and Europe?

Wild boar populations are far larger in mainland Europe than the UK and they have been instrumental in the spread of African swine fever (ASF). The maps below show the incidents of ASF in wild boar and domestic pigs in 2022 and there is a clear correlation between the two. Given the UK has a far higher number of pigs in outdoor settings, it is clear that wild boar present a very real threat to our domestic herd should ASF reach the UK.

More also needs to be understood about the impact of newly introduced apex predator birds, such as sea eagles. Schemes in Scotland, Denmark and The Netherlands are still in their relative infancy but there is anecdotal evidence of livestock predation. The NPA would have grave reservations about any potential schemes in regions of England with significant numbers of outdoor pig herds.

END

January 2023