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Presentation short abstract

We explore the opportunities and challenges of navigating between different boar-ish valuescapes to address policy and practice in Britain.

Presentation long abstract

Wild boar, which are historically native to Great Britain, were absent from the wild for multiple centuries. Since the 1980s, escapes from farms, along with deliberate illegal releases, have contributed to their contemporary return. They are officially categorised as 'feral wild boar' in England and ‘feral pigs’ in Scotland due to the illicit nature of their release and doubts over genetic purity. There are several free-ranging populations across Britain, and they appear to be expanding in both size and range, with further unsanctioned releases likely. While their presence is celebrated by nature restoration advocates and practioners, who call them wild boar, agricultural damage and potential infectious animal disease outbreaks raise concerns. The UK and Scottish Government’s current approach heightens these risks and fails to captialise on the potential benefits of their presence.

Drawing on our research in the UK and Europe, we have synthesised several policy recommendations, including a national monitoring system and strengthened biosecurity infrastructure, which will protect agricultural interests and unlock opportunities for nature recovery. These recommendations will be stress tested at two workshops in England and Scotland which seek to identify areas of common ground between different stakeholders. In doing so, we explore the opportunities and challenges of navigating between different boar-ish valuescapes to address policy and practice in Britain.