§ Baroness Mallalieuasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps are proposed to safeguard the survival of the red deer herds of Exmoor following the implementation of the Hunting Act 2004. [HL311]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)Defra has promoted the deer initiative which is advertising to fill the new post of deer liaison officer for the South West. The National Park Authority is also considering the issue of maintaining a sustainable red deer herd on Exmoor.
Defra recently announced its national strategy for achieving the sustainable management of wild deer in England, which is as much about safeguarding populations of native deer as it is about reducing numbers where they are causing problems. Under this national framework the responsibility for local deer management rests with local deer managers. The deer initiative will offer advice where needed and encourages the use of deer management groups to bring deer managers together to provide a cohesive local approach to ensure sustainable populations of native deer are maintained.