The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is asking for the public's views on changes to the ‘Manx Hedgerow Management Code of Best Practice’.

The ‘Hedge Code’, first issued by the Department in 2007 aims to encourage all landowners to manage their hedges in specific ways to benefit wildlife. 

The Code has recently had particular relevance for farmers who apply to the Countryside Care Scheme for funding since financial penalties may be applied for non-compliance with certain aspects of the Code.

The Manx farming community acknowledges that in addition to producing food, they are responsible for managing the Islands landscape and a significant proportion of its terrestrial biodiversity.

However, they have identified a number of issues over incompatibility of modern farming practices and some of the guidelines of the Hedge Code.

In particular the dates of the restricted period in which the cutting of hedges is not permitted to protect nesting birds.

In light of these issues, DAFF Minister Phil Gawne MHK made a commitment to review the code saying “it is vital to produce a code which is practical for landowners to implement whilst ensuring that this valuable habitat is maintained for the diversity of wildlife which is dependent on it at some stage in their life cycle”.

A joint consultation between DAFF’s Agriculture and Wildlife and Conservation Divisions has been produced which brings together key information regarding Manx agricultural practices, bird breeding dates and details of restricted periods of hedge cutting in adjacent jurisdictions.

The consultation document is available from www.gov.im/consultations.gov.

Views are invited from all interested parties and the closing date is 31st October.

Responses should be marked as confidential if you do not want them to subsequently be published.