Sheep farmers have called on Natural England to hold ‘independent consultations’ ahead of any lynx reintroduction as community groups and reintroduction campaigners meet in Northumberland.

On Thursday, sheep farming groups called on the government to ensure there will be a full independent consultation on any formal proposal to release lynx in the UK.

The call came as the Lynx UK Trust, which is building up the case for a trial reintroduction of the predatory cat held its first meeting with locals at Kielder in Northumberland, having identified the area as its preferred site for a trial reintroduction in July. As yet, the Trust has not submitted a formal application to Natural England (or Scottish Natural Heritage in Scotland), which would have the final decision on the matter.

Lynx are solitary medium-sized cats which were wiped out by hunting in the UK over 1,000 years ago and numbers declined steeply in Europe; though the Eurasian lynx has made a comeback in central Europe since the late 20th Century, the smaller Iberian lynx is still critically threatened. Lynx can grow to 1.5m long and prefer forested habitats where they ambush their prey, mostly deer.

Although the Lynx UK Trust maintains that there has never been a recorded case of a healthy lynx attacking a human and assures that predation of livestock won’t be a major problem, sheep farming groups have rejected reintroduction plans out of hand. Even so, the Trust garnered a huge amount of public support for reintroduction in public consultations last year and believes that returning a large predator to parts of the country could yield ecological benefits and boost eco-tourism.

The NFU in England and National Sheep Farming Association (NSA) in England and Scotland claim to have the backing of members of rural communities outside the farming sector who share their concerns about a potential reintroduction. The groups last week called for assurances that Lynx UK Trust’s public consultations wouldn’t be considered as independent consultations that could inform a Natural England decision.

In July, a Natural England spokesperson told Farming Online, “We assess reintroduction applications on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the environmental and socio-economic impacts, as well as how the animals themselves might be affected.”

On Monday, another spokesperson said NE has a great deal of experience in this area and would thoroughly assess any application that is made, but would not comment on the issue of consultations with the public or other stakeholder groups, stating that they understood Lynx UK Trust had already carried out a consultation, and that any queries about this should be directed at the Trust.

The spokesperson did say that NE would follow IUCN guidelines in the event of any reintroduction application, and would be careful to ensure that any application received follows proper public consultation and evidence gathering, and takes into account any input from government.

Commenting on Thursday, NFU Regional Director Adam Bedford said, “A thorough, independent evaluation of any proposals put forward is what farmers in the local area expect. This is an area almost wholly dependent on sheep farming and times are tough. Any unnecessary additional pressure on these fragile businesses is simply unacceptable and the government must respond accordingly. Scottish farmers already have the commitment of their government to carry out a full consultation in the event of a formal application by Lynx UK. We now need Natural England to follow suit in England.

“The truth is we don’t know how these animals would behave in an environment that is very different to the last time they lived in the wild in England. What is clear is that they would prey on sheep and in particular the lambs so readily available on local farms. Surely our efforts and finances would be better focused on retaining current biodiversity.”

Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive, said, “Sheep are an essential part of the economic, environmental and societal jigsaw in rural areas. Put this one vital piece at risk and the whole structure is threatened, biodiversity is reduced, cultural and heritage is lost, and the rural landscape changes. We are concerned that lynx will negatively impact sheep farming businesses without being guaranteed to bring any gains in terms of environment or tourism. Lynx are not considered to be an at risk species on a global scale and we would do better to concentrate on the iconic landscapes and incredible biodiversity that we already have in the UK.

"The level of risk has been emphasised by the recent escape of a lynx from Plymouth Zoo. It killed a number of lambs in a short amount of time and was recaptured with the knowledge it would return to the site of its last kill. Official guidance from the police was for the public to stay away from the animal as it could be dangerous if startled or cornered."

Lynx UK Trust has been contacted for comment.