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Farming Today: 07/02/20 - The Office for Environmental Protection, sea eagles and livestock, the NFUS Conference and Paludiculture

07/02/20 - The Office for Environmental Protection, sea eagles and livestock, the NFUS Conference and Paludiculture

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 07/02/20 - The Office for Environmental Protection, sea eagles and livestock, the NFUS Conference and Paludiculture

Will the new Office for Environmental Protection be up to the job?

Concerns persist around plans for a new body called the Office for Environmental Protection, designed to hold the government to account over environmental standards.

For nearly 50 years now environmental law and governance here in the UK has been determined by the EU but that, of course, is all up for change, so how will assets like our air and water quality be protected in future? Well, the Government has introduced a new Environment Bill and there are plans for a new body called the Office for Environmental Protection designed to hold the government to account over environmental standards. We investigate the persistent concerns about the body's independence and clout.

Scottish Natural Heritage has promised extra help for crofters and farmers in Scotland to compensate for, and protect against, sea eagles killing and injuring stock. The sea, or white-tailed eagle, was reintroduced to the islands of Mull and Skye more than forty years ago. As their numbers have grown, there have been claims of increasingly regular attacks on sheep and lambs. 

We catch up with the National Farmers Union, Scotland at their annual conference in Glasgow, where top of the agenda are climate change and future trade arrangements.

And what is paludiculture? It's the 'productive' use of wet, or re-wetted peatlands for things like growing reed for thatching or harvesting biomass. But how can you practically harvest from a bog? We find out a very special bit of kit that makes it possible.

Presented by Caz Graham
Produced by Heather Simons

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