Give keepers police powers to protect rare New Forest fungi, say conservationists

THE Forestry Commission’s keepers should become special constables with the power to arrest and search anyone they suspect of illegally picking rare fungi, according to a leading conservation group.

Speaking at the latest Verderers’ Court meeting, Friends of the New Forest spokesperson Brian Tarnoff also pushed for agisters, employed by the verderers, to have the same capabilities. Special constables work on a part-time, voluntary basis to support their local police force, and have the same powers as regular officers.

Mr Tarnoff spoke out in reaction to news that three extremely rare woodland fungi had recently been removed from the New Forest by unlicensed foragers, who ignored signs from the Forestry Commission not to pick them.

He said: “We are urging the Forestry Commission to actively seek prosecution of those taking protected species, highlighting the severe penalties and involving local and national wildlife crime officers.

“Perhaps it is time to consider establishing Forest Keepers in the special constabulary, as are the keepers in Epping Forest; and perhaps the verderers ought to discuss the notion of attesting agisters similarly. This would grant them powers to arrest, search and seize, and to use camera traps or perhaps chemical tagging to provide the evidence needed to convict.”

As reported in the A&T, a fortnight ago the bearded tooth fungus (pictured), which is on endangered lists, was taken from three different locations during October.

Having icicle-like spores and said to look like white hedgehogs, the taste of them has been likened to lobster cooked in butter. They are also believed to have medicinal properties, helping with memory loss and anxiety.

There were only 11 of the fungi growing in the New Forest in total before the three were stolen, and the FC believes they were deliberately targeted by the thieves.

Reacting to the theft, Mr Tarnoff stormed: “Although an ongoing problem, the taking of the bearded tooth, a protected rare species of fungus, has made it into the news. Once again, we urge the Forestry Commission to treat this crime seriously, and to include both local police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit.”

Mr Tarnoff said the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to pick any rare wild plant, including fungi.

He added: “The Crown Prosecution Service lists very strong penalties, including up to a £5,000 fine per item, six months jail time, and the forfeiture of vehicles used in the act or to transport goods.

“This applies to any location, for any purpose, whether for personal or commercial use. This guidance also clearly states that anyone in the Special Constabulary has standard stop and search powers over anyone that they have reasonable cause to suspect of this offence.”

The court heard that the Wild Mushroom Pickers’ Code of Conduct 1988, developed by English Nature with input from the FC, National Trust, Woodland Trust, Association of British Fungus Groups and the British Mycological Society, states that culinary foraging is inappropriate in areas of SSSI or national nature reserves, of which the New Forest is both.

Mr Tarnoff said the current FC policy prohibiting fungi picking in the New Forest was supported by many conservation charities, including various wildlife organisations, the National Trust, Bug Life, Plant Life and a number of fungi interest groups.

He said: “You may ask why Bug Life is on the list – according to one of their ecologists at least 600 invertebrate species, although likely more than 1,000 in the New Forest, are dependent on fungi as an egg laying site.

“Anyone harvesting fungi here are taking away a proportion of future generations of those species – that’s one key element of the place of fungi in the eco system.

“It is a basic principle of conservation that we protect all elements of a habitat under threat. Currently thousands of UK species are crashing; this Forest is under siege. This is the last stand.”

The FC has been running a long campaign urging people not to pick mushrooms in the New Forest, leaving them to be enjoyed by other visitors.

Foraging is not illegal in the national park, but commercial picking is. Taking any protected species is also against the law.

The FC spokesperson added: “We are urging anyone who has any information please to call the police non-emergency line on 101. We need people to report incidents to the police, not just on social media – otherwise it won’t be dealt with appropriately.”