Farmers and landowners face a tougher task in preventing rabbits from destroying crops or vegetables after Natural England scrapped legislation that was put in place when the 1947 Agriculture Act and the 1954 Pests Act was created.
ShootingUK reports that for the past 60 years landowners had a duty to keep down rabbit numbers on their property to protect crops.
If anyone failed to control rabbits on their land, neighbouring farmers and landowners could apply for Agriculture Act Notice to force a culling of rabbits on adjoining land.
ShootingUK quotes the Countryside Alliance’s Tim Bonner as saying: “When it [NE] continues to act in such a ludicrous way without consultation or logic, the government can’t escape the criticism that it has no understanding of rural issues or interest in the views of the countryside. There could not be a better example of how the government and NE are infested with a ‘bunny hugger’ mentality.”
The move by Natural England could cause significant problems for allotment holders who could suffer damage to vegetable crops without the option of taking action against owners of adjoining land, to clear rabbit numbers or fence adjoining fence lines.
Natural England website.
Related reading: Tips on controlling Rabbits in the vegetable patch
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