| Sheep
NSA warns of link
between upland
rewilding and
devastating wildfires
At the leading edge
Known nationwide. Owned nationwide. Shown
nationwide.
With devastating scenes of wildfires raging over
Saddleworth Moor across the news recently the
National Sheep Association (NSA) is warning of the
increased risk of similar disasters if proposals to re-
wild many of the UK’s upland areas are pursued.
he Whiteley Hey
Flock Exhibiting at
the NSA Sheep
Event on the 18th
July 2018 Boasting
30 years of
Genetics in Texels, Beltex x Texels
and Beltex x Charolais.
Our sheep are sold throughout
England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland. The progeny of
these rams have gone on to win
many Easter and Christmas fat
stock shows. The lambs are
amongst the top priced lambs in
prime stock rings around the
country.
These rams are bred for
T
ombined risk
factors of
predicted
climate change
and weather
patterns with
removal of grazing animals that
have in the past protected
uplands from out of control fires
by creating natural firebreaks
could mean the fires causing
distress amongst people living
and working in the area could
become more widespread.
NSA Chief Executive Phil
Stocker comments: “Wildfires
are becoming more common
across the UK, in part due to a
loss of grazing animals and an
increase in high volumes of dry
vegetation. The result is causing
immense environmental damage
including the loss of peat and
release of carbon into the
atmosphere, the destruction of
mammals and young birds, the
potential loss of domesticated
livestock and of course, a risk to
human health.
“The grazed nature of most of
our uplands has, in the past,
protected us from out of control
fires, meaning that when fires
occur as they inevitably will, they
are short lived and relatively
easy to get under control. This is
C
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
excellent Conformation and Skins.
We have an outstanding show of
rams on offer exhibiting power,
skin, length and shape all the
attributes required for today's
commercial and pure breeders.
See our sales page for sale dates
and venues or visit our farm and
see them for yourself. All our
sheep are vaccinated with Enzo-
Vac, Tox-Vac and Foot Vac and are
on the Heptavac P system. The
sheep are fed naturally with
malassed sugar beet pellets only.
Therefore they continue to thrive
and go on to do well for their new
owners.
a practical example of how
sheep farming has an integral
relationship with our planet and
connects our landscape, our
people and our wildlife and
environment through natural and
traditional land management
whilst also producing food and
fibre from plants and regions
that would not otherwise feed
and clothe us.”
Extending sympathy and
concern to all affected by the
blaze currently affecting over 6
sq. km of land on Saddleworth
Moor, Mr Stocker continues:
“The NSA is not aiming to win
political gain from a clearly
distressing and damaging event
and our thoughts go to all
affected in the area, however we
do feel the need to point out that
moves to re-wild many of our
upland areas would put far more
and far larger areas at risks.”
Further information on the
environmental benefits of sheep
farming in upland areas is
available in the NSA publication
‘The complementary role of
sheep in upland and hill areas’
that is available to download
from
www.nationalsheep.org.uk/polic
y-work
July 2018 | Farming Monthly | 25