Red squirrel vaccine petition to be considered for Senedd debate

Mark Mansfield

A petition calling on the Welsh Government to back the development of a vaccine to protect red squirrels from the deadly squirrelpox virus has passed the threshold for consideration by the Senedd’s Petitions Committee.

The petition, created by conservationist Craig Shuttleworth, attracted more than 10,000 signatures after gaining more than 5,000 supporters in a single day.

Under Senedd rules, all petitions receiving more than 10,000 signatures are considered by the Petitions Committee, which can recommend they be debated in the Senedd.

The campaign urges ministers to fund pioneering research into a vaccine against squirrelpox, a disease carried by invasive grey squirrels that is usually harmless to them but frequently proves fatal to native red squirrels.

Campaigners say progress has stalled since the Senedd debated the issue in autumn 2023, despite commitments from ministers to explore the feasibility of developing a vaccine.

The petition argues that, two-and-a-half years later, no decision had been taken on how to deliver the promised feasibility project and says the new Welsh Government should now act as “a catalyst for successful red squirrel conservation”.

The issue has become increasingly pressing following the return of grey squirrels to Anglesey, where conservationists fear squirrelpox outbreaks could devastate one of Wales’ strongest remaining red squirrel populations.

Earlier this year, Anglesey councillors unanimously backed calls urging the Welsh Government to support vaccine development.

The petition is supported by research published by Bangor University academics Jo Bradwell, Craig Shuttleworth and Robert Benson, who argue that vaccination could dramatically improve the survival prospects of red squirrels.

Writing in the Quarterly Journal of Forestry, the researchers say grey squirrels have gained a significant advantage over native reds because they carry squirrelpox without becoming seriously ill themselves. Red squirrels, by contrast, develop severe disease that is usually fatal, leading to rapid population declines whenever the two species come into contact.

The researchers argue that immunising red squirrels would give them “a better chance of survival” when they encounter grey squirrels and could also support future reintroduction projects in areas where the species has disappeared.

They also say modern vaccine technology means such a programme is technically achievable.

According to the paper, state-of-the-art vaccines can be inexpensive to produce, are non-infectious and could be administered by injection after red squirrels are safely captured in live traps by trained and licensed conservation workers before being released back into the wild.

Momentum

The authors conclude that there is now “a modern opportunity to put momentum into a vaccine program, provided regulatory hurdles can be addressed”.

The petition also points to the successful development of a vaccine against a deadly elephant virus, arguing that similar determination is now needed to protect one of Wales’ best-loved native mammals.

The Petitions Committee will now decide whether the petition should be referred for debate in the Senedd.