The National Sheep Association (NSA) believes the worrying spate of wildfires across the UK should spark discussion on upland management and the unintended consequences of destocking.

Recent reductions in stocking rates of the UK’s uplands, NSA is concerned, is having unintended consequences on wildfire risk, and the two should be analysed by agriculturalists, environmentalists and fire crews to limit the horrific consequences of grassfires.

UK fire crews have announced they have already responded to more than 400 wildfires this year.

Hills have burned across the UK, from the iconic Stac Pollaidh in Scotland, to Marsden and Howden Moor in the Pennines, the Welsh uplands, Cornish wildlife reserves and Mourne mountains in Northern Ireland.

Michael Priestley, NSA Policy Manager says the fact that many of these fires are in upland areas means a discussion is needed urgently with fire crews, environmentalists and land managers.

Mr Priestley explains: “Arson, camping accidents and general carelessness of the general public are often the causes of wildfires, but the fuel load is being increased by land management policies including the trend of stopping controlled burns and destocking of uplands.

“The spate of wildfires shows how challenging it is to get the balance of lower stocking rates and rewilding of uplands correct. If the aim is to preserve the landscape, the only options are cutting, burning and grazing, and if this is done by gamekeepers and farmers it is work that is done as part of economic activities. However, if the aim is to rewild and rewet, the landscape, this takes time.”

NSA is concerned that such widespread wildfires are a major ecological risk for rare wildlife. Destocking is also placing rural communities under pressure and is risking the future of upland shepherding skills.

“Fire crews in Cumbria have called out moorland management as a factor contributing to the recent wildlife on Ralfland Common, near Shap. Those hills to the west of Shap have been destocked with sheep, it’s a widely known fact. Sheep manage vegetation and reduce the amount of dead grass and vegetation amassing on the fells,” he adds.

NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker says: “It is important to recognise that traditional sheep farming and sensitive grazing by sheep can really help maintain vegetation to reduce the risk of wildfires. Multi-functional land use is the key to combine food production with landscape and environmental maintenance and enhancement and public access and enjoyment.”

Met office data showed that March was the driest since records began in some regions. Parts of south west England received just 4% of the long-term average rainfall, and England as a whole received 22%, increasing the fire risk across England and the rest of the UK.