6. Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Biodiversity

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:12 pm on 4 October 2022.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 5:12, 4 October 2022

Yes, thank you, Mike. On the apex predator point, I completely agree with that. I don't know if Members have seen the film of Yellowstone park and the reintroduction of the wolves. If you haven't watched that, watch it—just Google, 'Yellowstone park reintroduction of wolves'. And that's all they did. They had real biodegradation, they had overgrazing by all sorts—they had all kinds of things, Honestly, it makes you cry to watch. They put the apex predator back in, controlled the numbers of the other things and the park regenerated. It was astonishing to watch, and that's what happens when you interfere with ecosystems without understanding what the outcome will be. It's well worth watching if you haven't watched it. It makes you go cold and shivery—I've gone just thinking about it now. 

So, actually understanding—this is the point, Mike, isn't it—from the experts what that ecosystem should look like, what that apex predator actually does and its role in maintaining the ecosphere that we're talking about is a really important thing that we're definitely working on. We've been looking, as I'm sure you know, at whether the reintroduction of beavers is a good idea in some of our rivers. I have no idea yet—nobody panic. We haven't decided yet. [Laughter.] But, we are looking at it—