Will the Minister introduce a moratorium on any release licence applications for golden eagles until such a time that public meetings can be undertaken and detailed information about such schemes are made available to the public?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has strict rules governing the reintroduction of any species into the wild. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is the body responsible for implementing these rules and issuing a licence for such releases.
IUCN Translocation Guidelines require that proposals demonstrate the social feasibility of any reintroduction. As part of the procedure for issuing such licences a full public consultation would be required where all the information regarding the proposal is made available. This would enable all views on the proposal to be considered. Applicants are advised to undertake the consultation prior to submitting their application, and NRW would consider whether this had been carried out sufficiently as part of the licence determination process. If NRW deems that applicants had not consulted widely enough then NRW can insist that a further public consultation is carried out before determination.
While I appreciate that current covid restrictions may limit face to face engagement, it will still be possible to hold public meetings virtually. Therefore, I do not believe a moratorium is required currently as the requirements for public consultation can still be met.