§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the current regulations on the control of prairie dogs; and what assessment she has made of whether they are adequate to contain their spread;
(2) what is the estimated United Kingdom population of prairie dogs living in the wild.
§ Mr. SoamesThe Ministry is not aware of any populations of prairie dogs outside captivity within the United Kingdom, other than the small and undetermined numbers reported on the Isle of Wight. Those on the Isle of Wight are reported to be escapees from a wildlife park. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended, to release or allow prairie dogs into the wild. Prairie dogs which have escaped from zoos or similar establishments are not protected under wildlife legislation and can be controlled by landowners or occupiers using any method not prohibited by the 1981 Act. Shooting or cage trapping and humane dispatch are two methods that could be used.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice she will give Isle of Wight farmers about controlling prairie dogs.
§ Mr. SoamesThe Ministry has received no complaints of prairie dog damage from farmers or landowners on the Isle of Wight. Landowners and occupiers are free to use any legal method of control to deal with prairie dogs on their land. ADAS, the Ministry's wildlife advisers will, on request, give advice on the legal methods available and its services are being made available to the Medina borough council.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated annual cost of the damage caused by prairie dogs.
§ Mr. SoamesNo reports of damage have been received by the Ministry and, therefore, no assessment can be made of the estimated annual cost of any such damage.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what experience her Ministry has of controlling the spread of prairie dogs in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. SoamesThe Ministry has not been involved with the control of the spread of prairie dogs in this country as this is the responsibility of landowners and occupiers. Nevertheless, ADAS, the Ministry's wildlife advisers, has experience in dealing with a variety of animal species where these have posed problems to farmers and others and it will draw on this experience in offering any advice.