Garff member admits liking for squirrel pie
The Environment Minister has dismissed a suggestion that red squirrels be imported to the Isle of Man - for culinary purposes.
Garff MHK Martyn Perkins put forward the tongue-in-cheek idea in the House of Keys yesterday, as politicians debated introducing the rodents to Manx woodlands.
A consultation last year on the subject failed to win public support, with wildlife campaigners warning of unforeseen consequences for the ecosystem.
Numerous British Islands already have a red squirrel population, although concerns over declining numbers have led to calls for their introduction here.
Geoffrey Boot says DEFA is still taking the question 'seriously'.
But he wasn't won over by Mr Perkins' apparent fondness for the species as a delicacy:
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