Gove says ‘no’ to lynx plans

Controversial plans to reintroduce lynx into the Kielder Forest – which stradles the Border between England and Scotland – have been turned down by UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

In a letter to the Lynx UK Trust which had put in the application for a licence to release the cats, Gove said that his decision had been based on the findings of Natural England which said the proposals lacked the depth and rigour to provide confidence that the scheme would succeed.

“Following a thorough assessment, Natural England concluded that the application does not meet the necessary standards set out in the IUCN guidelines and fails to give confidence that the project could be completed in practical terms or that the outputs would meet the stated aims,” said Gove.

The environment secretary said it was not clear how the proposal would be funded, or how an exit strategy would be executed in an appropriate manner.

He added that there had also been concerns about the lack of formal partnerships or collaborations with other relevant organisations which he said would normally be expected.

Local farmers and landowners and the National Sheep Association (NSA) – which has aired many fears over predation – welcomed the news.

Expressing his delight at the ruling, NSA chief executive Phil Stocker, said: “We strongly believe this is the right decision, on ecological, social and agricultural grounds.

“Today’s victory is not just for farmers, but for the ecology of the area, the rural community and the farming economy.”