Information regarding external services for animal culling

Summary

The request sought details on external contracts for animal culling and consultancy services by the Isle of Man's DEFA between November 2023 and November 2025. The authority confirmed engagements with off-island bodies and local pest control companies but withheld specific names, costs, and procurement details for certain activities.

Key Facts

• DEFA engaged individuals and companies to cull or shoot animals on behalf of the Government.
• DEFA contacted an off-island organised body to advise on culling or shooting animals.
• Discussions were held with DEFRA regarding wallaby and feral goat populations.
• Initial engagements occurred with Manx Pest Control, AMANX Pest Prevention Services, and Rentokil regarding chicken removal.
• No contracts were finalized with the pest control companies following initial discussions.

Data Disclosed

• November 2023 - November 2025
• 25 November 2025
• 18 December
• 08 January 2026
• 5117822

Original Request

For the period of November 2023 - November 2025 Please provide the following information held by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture or the same information if it pertains to the department of infrastructure or any other government department other than DEFA. 1.Has DEFA contacted, contracted, or engaged any parties'individuals, companies, or any organised body, either on-Island or off-Island' to come to the Isle of Man to cull or shoot any animals on behalf of the Government? (other than as part of Bird Flu control measures). This request includes engagements that have been made but not yet carried out. 2. Has DEFA contacted, contracted, or engaged any parties'individuals, companies, or any organised body, either on-Island or off-Island'to advise on, report on, or provide consultancy services relating to the culling or shooting of any animals on behalf of the Government? This request also includes engagements made but not yet carried out. 3. If the answer to either of the two questions above is 'yes,' please provide: - The name(s) of the parties engaged; - The amount paid or to be paid; - The basis on which they were chosen; - Details of any tender or procurement process used. 4. Provide details of the types and numbers of animals culled, and the types of instruments used in the culling process. - If firearms were used or to be used, please specify the types including calibre(s). 5. Provide details of all areas of public-access land, or government-owned or government-controlled properties where such culling activities have taken place, or are planned to take place.

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im www.gov.im

Our ref: 5117822 08 January 2026

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 25 November 2025, which states:

For the period of November 2023 - November 2025

Please provide the following information held by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture or the same information if it pertains to the department of infrastructure or any other government department other than DEFA.

1.Has DEFA contacted, contracted, or engaged any parties' individuals, companies, or any organised body, either on-Island or off-Island' to come to the Isle of Man to cull or shoot any animals on behalf of the Government? (other than as part of Bird Flu control measures). This request includes engagements that have been made but not yet carried out.

1. Has DEFA contacted, contracted, or engaged any parties' individuals, companies, or any organised body, either on-Island or off-Island' to advise on, report on, or provide consultancy services relating to the culling or shooting of any animals on behalf of the Government? This request also includes engagements made but not yet carried out.

2. If the answer to either of the two questions above is 'yes,' please provide:

3. The name(s) of the parties engaged;
4. The amount paid or to be paid;
5. The basis on which they were chosen;

6. Details of any tender or procurement process used.

7. Provide details of the types and numbers of animals culled, and the types of instruments used in the culling process.

8. If firearms were used or to be used, please specify the types including calibre(s).

9. Provide details of all areas of public-access land, or government-owned or government-controlled properties where such culling activities have taken place, or are planned to take place.

On 18 December, you confirmed that your Freedom of Information request covers the Department’s pest control responsibilities. On the same date, you also clarified that your request relates to all parties who are not direct employees of the Department.

Our response to your request is as follows:

Q1. Has DEFA contacted, contracted, or engaged any parties, individuals, companies, or any organised body, either on-Island or off-Island to come to the Isle of Man to cull or shoot any animals on behalf of the Government? (other than as part of Bird Flu control measures)? This request includes engagements that have been made but not yet carried out.

The Department has engaged with individuals and companies to cull or shoot animals on behalf of the Government.

Q2. Has DEFA contacted, contracted, or engaged any parties' individuals, companies, or any organised body, either on-Island or off-Island' to advise on, report on, or provide consultancy services relating to the culling or shooting of any animals on behalf of the Government? This request also includes engagements made but not yet carried out.

The Department has contacted an organised body off-Island to advise on the culling or shooting of any animals on behalf of the Government.

1. If the answer to either of the two questions above is 'yes,' please provide:

a) The name(s) of the parties engaged

The Department met with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to discuss options of assistance or ideas with regards to the wallaby and feral goat populations on the Isle of Man. In addition, the Department contacted Manx Pest Control, AMANX Pest Prevention Services and Rentokil to discuss the removal of chickens. Following these initial engagements the Department did not make use of any of the services for the purpose of animal culling.

The Department engaged with Milan Veterinary Practice and three members of the public.

s25(b)(i)&(ii) While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because it is absolutely exempt under section 25(2)(b)(i)&(ii) of the Act (absolutely exempt personal information). The reasons why that exemption applies are that:

• The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is satisfied that the information amounts to personal data of which you are not the data subject; and

• The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is satisfied that disclosure of the information would contravene one of the data protection principles as set out at Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation as it applies in the Isle of Man pursuant to the Data Protection (Application of GDPR) Order 2018,

namely that the Department of Environment Food and Agriculture can only disclose the information where it would be fair, lawful and meet one of the conditions for lawful processing in Article 6 and in this case, none of those conditions have been met.

b) The amount paid or to be paid

The Department paid Milan Veterinary Practice £168 to sedate a feral goat. No further payments have been made, and there are no outstanding payments in relation to this activity.

c) The basis on which they were chosen d) Details of any tender or procurement process used.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. This is because the Department directly approached known members of the public who hold a valid firearm licence.

1. Provide details of:

a) The types and numbers of animals culled, and the types of instruments used in the culling process.

• Two feral sheep • Five feral goats

Two feral sheep were culled using a captive bolt and pithing. One feral goat was sedated using a dart gun and euthanised using a lethal injection.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. This is because the Department does not hold information with regards to the types of instruments used for four feral goats.

b) If firearms were used or to be used, please specify the types including calibre(s).

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. This is because the Department does not hold this information.

1. Provide details of all areas of public-access land, or government-owned or government-controlled properties where such culling activities have taken place, or are planned to take place.

A feral goat was safely sedated at St Johns School using a dart gun in a controlled area while the premises were closed. It was then transferred to a work vehicle, where a Government Veterinary Officer humanely euthanised it using a lethal injection.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. This is because the Department does not hold information regarding the location of other culling activity.

To offer advice and assistance, the Department’s pest control service is intended to protect public health by minimising risks of injury and preventing the spread of diseases associated with certain pests in designated premises. As this service is delivered by Department officers, it falls outside the scope of your request.

Further information is available here: https://www.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/pest-control/

Please note that not all culling activity is formally documented within the Department. As a result, there may have been additional instances of culling for which no formal records exist.

Please quote the reference number 5117822 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on:

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or

2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.

More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im.

Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely