Farming Today

20/03/24 - Shellfish deaths, incoming Welsh First Minister, waste wool and avian flu


Listen Later

Fishermen and wildlife are still feeling the impact nearly two and a half years after the mass shellfish deaths on England's North East Coast. After several years of investigations and reviews, the conclusion of an independent expert panel, chaired by DEFRA's Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Gideon Henderson, was that the deaths of crabs, lobsters and other commercially important shellfish, was "as like as not", down to an unknown pathogen. Fishermen had blamed contamination from dredging or the presence of a toxic pollutant - but the panel dismissed that as "very unlikely".

Farmers have been protesting about the Welsh Government's plans to implement a new Sustainable Farming Scheme, which includes having 10 percent of farmland planted with trees and 10 percent to benefit wildlife. The incoming First Minister, Vaughan Gething, brings with him some rural credentials - his father worked as a vet in South Wales and his mother was a chicken farmer in Zambia... So will that make him more receptive to farmers' concerns?

And new rules are brought in so that everyone keeping birds has to register on a National list. Up till now only flocks of 50 or more had to be registered, but now, anyone who keeps just a few chickens in the garden, or birds of prey, or pigeons will have to do so too. DEFRA says the new rules will help them contact more bird keepers, so they can stay up to date on local disease outbreaks - like avian flu.

Presented by Anna Hill

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Farming TodayBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

54 ratings


More shows like Farming Today

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,913 Listeners

The Archers by BBC Radio 4

The Archers

1,086 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

376 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

863 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,067 Listeners

Wake Up To Money by BBC Radio 5 Live

Wake Up To Money

50 Listeners

Money Box by BBC Radio 4

Money Box

40 Listeners

The Martin Lewis Podcast by BBC Radio 5 Live

The Martin Lewis Podcast

86 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,576 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,808 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,729 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,018 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

49 Listeners

Gardeners' Question Time by BBC Radio 4

Gardeners' Question Time

284 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

259 Listeners

Scotland Outdoors by BBC Radio Scotland

Scotland Outdoors

255 Listeners

Ramblings by BBC Radio 4

Ramblings

154 Listeners

The Bottom Line by BBC Radio 4

The Bottom Line

38 Listeners

The Plodcast by Our Media

The Plodcast

110 Listeners

Gardening with the RHS by Royal Horticultural Society

Gardening with the RHS

274 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,245 Listeners

The Missing Cryptoqueen by BBC Sounds

The Missing Cryptoqueen

1,024 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

779 Listeners

The Farmers Weekly Podcast by Farmers Weekly

The Farmers Weekly Podcast

13 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,010 Listeners