Independent report

ESRT: Year 3 review and look forward to 2026 and 2027

Updated 31 March 2026

Applies to England

Introduction

The third year of the England Species Reintroductions Taskforce (ESRT) has focused on the delivery and publication of multiple workstreams including research, guidance and a database as well as promoting the Taskforce’s work through our communications.

Meetings

As planned, we held 4 face-to-face Taskforce meetings throughout the year hosted by the Nature Friendly Farming Network at Papley Grove Farm in Cambridgeshire, by the National Trust and Forestry England at Wild Ennerdale in Cumbria, by Holkham Hall in Norfolk and by Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust in Surrey and Hampshire.

These locations enabled the Taskforce members to experience and engage with issues such as nature friendly farming, habitat restoration and with species conservation translocations including:

• marsh fritillary
• hairy wood ant
• water vole
• beaver
• feral pig
• natterjack toad
• smooth snake
• sand lizard

Speakers at our meetings included James Hoggett (Natural England) who presented the findings of the ACCESS Taskforce and ran a social science workshop with us on stakeholder motivations, Mike Dunn (Forestry England) who presented on social feasibility best practice, Dr Cat Barlow (Restoring Upland Nature) who presented on the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, Caio Kenup (Zoological Society of London) who presented on the Red Squirrel Strategy and Professor Sam Turvey (Zoological Society of London) who presented historical perspectives on conservation translocations.

The CEO of Natural England, Marian Spain, joined one of our meetings ensuring that our work is appropriately contextualised in wider ambition about nature recovery. Our meetings are also attended by members of NatureScot, and we engage regularly with the National Species Reintroduction Forum north of the border.

Advisory work

The Taskforce is pleased to have formed a panel of 8 international experts to peer review its work, enabling the publication of the following research reports:

1. Barriers and enablers to conservation translocations, research carried out by the University of Leeds (published 26 December 2025).

2. Perceptions on the challenges and opportunities from the restoration of the predator guild in England carried out by the University of York (published 26 December 2025).

The Taskforce is working on the following workstreams:

3. Research into how conservation translocations contribute to biodiversity targets in the government’s legislation. It’s important to know the potential benefits that conservation translocations can play in restoring ecosystems and recovering nature.

4. Development of a conservation introduction framework for species by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). With the growing threat to biodiversity posed by climate change, diseases and invasive species, we need to consider both assisted colonisation and ecological replacement, within Britain and from elsewhere in Europe. This workstream is a collaboration with and co-funded by NatureScot.

5. The establishment of a database that captures translocation activity across Britain, and spreads best practice. The database is being developed by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH). Once completed, it should also stimulate further engagement of a wide network of interested organisations and individuals and ensure greater accessibility to the best data to help undertaking successful translocations. This workstream is a collaboration with and co-funded by NatureScot.

6. Systematic map and review of translocation guidance which will identify current best practices, assess the geographical and taxonomic coverage and gaps in existing guidance, and highlight gaps. Its purpose is to determine whether efforts should focus on better signposting existing resources or developing new guidance.

7. Establishing an online hub for conservation translocations – a one-stop-shop for guidance, training and other resources. The Taskforce commissioned the University of the Highlands and Islands to carry out a scoping study for this product and is collaborating with Scottish and Welsh partners to make this a UK wide resource.

8. Development of decision support tools by the Zoological Society of London including case studies and training videos.

Stakeholder engagement

The Taskforce continues to support the collaborative stakeholder network including being part of the steering group which met in September and November in 2025 and in March 2026. The steering group has identified priority workstreams for the coming year including:

• consolidating and building an inclusive network
• acting as an interface for those with different views
• signposting and interpreting guidance

We are very grateful for the strong support given to the Taskforce by Will Stinson, responsible for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) policy in this area and a regular attendee and contributor to the Taskforce’s work. We await a discussion with Ministers to further align our priorities with those of the government.

The Chair of the Taskforce presented to the UK Chief Scientists group in October 2025 and, in Cambridge in December 2025, to the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme of habitat and species restoration projects across Europe, many of which include species reintroductions. The Taskforce presented to the National Nature Reserves Advisory Group in March 2026. The Taskforce is becoming much more widely known and appreciated, being approached for advice and guidance, and to participate in external events such as FarmED in April 2025, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) conference in October 2025, the Natural History Consortium Communicate Conference in November 2025.

Members of the Taskforce attended and helped to facilitate a workshop at the University of Kent’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology on Key Performance Indicators for Conservation Translocations in October 2025 and gave a webinar to Forestry Commission staff in November 2025.

Members of the Taskforce have authored or contributed to articles that highlight the work of the Taskforce, the themes the Taskforce is working on, or both. For example:

• Holmes, G. (2025). Who let the frogs out? Illicit and unregulated species translocations. Conservation Letters, 18(6).
• BBC Wildlife, Annaliese Smith (July 2025 pp 76-77) Q&A What is Assisted Migration?

The Taskforce communicates online through the England Species Reintroductions Taskforce – GOV.UK page and our LinkedIn account with over 1,500 followers. The LinkedIn account enables the Taskforce members and invited guests to blog about and bring issues of importance to a wider audience. Topics covered this year include:

• The importance of ethics and welfare in animal reintroductions (Jenny MacPherson, Vincent Wildlife Trust)
• Large herbivores in nature recovery (Paddy Hipple-Walsh, Ecosulis Ltd and Stanley Smith, The Wildlife Trusts)
• Using decision science to foster more and responsible conservation translocations in England (Professor John Ewen, Zoological Society of London)
• Can’t see the wood for the trees: restoring flora and funga (Dan Carne, Woodmeadow Makers)
• It’s not just beavers (Professor Karim Vahed, Buglife)
• Barriers and enablers to more and better conservation translocations (Andy Clements)
• Finding common ground in discussions around predator translocations in England (Professor Julia Touza, University of York)

Future plans

As we move into our fourth year, we are indebted to the hard work of all the members of the Taskforce. It is expected that, during this fourth year of operation we will refresh the membership of the Taskforce, ensuring an appropriate diversity of view, and a mix of consistency and new perspectives.

Future workstreams and priorities will likely include:

• working on removing barriers to more and better conservation translocations in collaboration with the stakeholder network
• further research into how conservation translocations contribute to biodiversity targets
• further work on developing an online UK conservation translocations hub
• collaborating on a PhD investigating the ecological and social aspects of illicit and unlicensed species reintroductions

We are very grateful to Natural England who provide an outstanding secretariat to the Taskforce, both in terms of logistical support and in enabling discussion of important principles and identifying best practice. We are very grateful to Defra officials who are also highly supportive.

Dr Andy Clements – Chair, England Species Reintroductions Taskforce

March 2026