AN application to carry out a trial reintroduction of six Eurasian lynx in the Kielder Forest of Northumberland, has been met with an outcry from farming industry bodies.

After several years of pre-publicity, the Lynx UK Trust formally submitted its application to Natural England at the end of last week, seeking permission for a programme which would see four female and two male lynx reintroduced for a five year period, wearing satellite collars to monitor their movements.

Not for the first time, the National Sheep Association raised its firm objection to that plan. Chief executive Phil Stocker said: “NSA has been strongly opposed to what Lynx UK Trust is calling a pilot release since its inception, with serious concerns around the way the organisation conducted its consultation process, to questions around whether current law would even allow such a release to take place.

“Clearly NSA is opposed to lynx because of the predatory threat the species pose to sheep, but our argument is far more wide reaching than that," said Mr Stocker. "Food security within an uncertain climate, protected species status and land use balance are subjects that need fully debating and pulling together. Any piecemeal sanctioning of small projects which are part of a much wider debate that has not yet been properly conducted would be irresponsible and inexcusable. It is almost inconceivable that once released the lynx would ever be removed and therefore we don't accept this is a pilot project – it is a release.”

As Kielder is a cross border forest, the potential for the lynx to cross into Scotland is a prime area of concern for NFU Scotland’s deputy director of policy, Andrew Bauer: “This is a far more complex matter than those pressing for the release of lynx would have anyone believe. On the forest edge, there will be predation of ewes and lambs and no amount of warm words and reassurances will convince any farmer or crofter otherwise.

“While this application for reintroduction to Kielder has apparently now been lodged with Natural England, it clearly has implications for Scotland. Given the cross-border location of the forest, it would be a major failure on the part of the applicants if Scottish Natural Heritage were not included in the application," said Mr Bauer.

“Were that to happen, I can categorically reassure our members that the process for securing permission for the trial release of lynx is long and complex and any application will be subject to considerable analysis and debate.

“I firmly believe that, outside of a small group of enthusiasts, there is little support for the current proposals. NFUS will continue to scrutinise the claims and farmers and crofters in Scotland can be confident that the union, as a member of the Scottish National Species Reintroduction Forum, will take all necessary steps to ensure their interests are protected.”

The application proposes that the lynx would be studied over a five year period, and information gathered would be used to indicate whether a full reintroduction could be carried out with more individuals across a wider area; much of Scotland has often been highlighted as having a huge potential for lynx habitat.

The chief scientific advisor on the project, Dr Paul O'Donoghue, commented: “We've now reached a point where we feel every piece of research has been done, every concern that can be raised has been raised, and the only way to move truly forward is with an intensively monitored trial reintroduction of a small number of cats. That can tell us exactly how suitable the lynx would be for a larger reintroduction. We very much hope the lynx has the opportunity to prove it can bring so much to the local community and the UK as a whole.”