Hi everyone,
The following article talks about the possibility of foot and mouth
causing one of the distinct UK sheep breeds to go extinct. Although
many environmentalists and some animal rights sympathizers might not
initially be concerned about the fate of a domestic animal variety,
the article discusses how the Herdwick flock has had a significant
influence on both the landscape and the ecology of the Lake District
and North Pennines.
Jim T.
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE COULD WIPE OUT U.K. SHEEP BREED
LONDON, United Kingdom, April 16, 2001 (ENS) - Foot and mouth disease
threatens to wipe out a breed of sheep unique to the United Kingdom. The
hardy Herdwick grazes on the hills and dales of England's Lake District and
North Pennines, two of the country's wettest and windiest regions.
For full text and graphics, visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr2001/2001L-04-16-12.html
some excerpts:
"The implications of the cull on the remainder of the Herdwick flock
have been enough to prompt several groups to call for action to save
the breed from extinction.
"Conservation charities English Nature, The National Trust and Lake
District National Park have all called on the Ministry of Agriculture
to take special measures to protect the rare breeds of the Lake
District and North Pennines, and the traditional hefted hillflock
management systems that support the breeds.
"Hefted means the sheep rarely wander from the fells they know.
Successive generations of hefted hill flocks have learned which part
of the land to stay on. This makes flocks manageable on large
unfenced areas of common land and helps keep sheep evenly distributed
across the hills, preventing localized overgrazing of the vegetation.
"The hefted system of farming has helped shape the landscape so
beloved by poet William Wordsworth and Britons today. Many of these
uplands are candidate Special Areas of Conservation or Special
Protection Areas under the European Union's Wild Birds and Habitats
directives, by virtue of the special character of their wildlife.
"'It is essential, in planning the future for sheep farming in these
areas, after foot and mouth disease, that we get the sheep numbers
right and financially support the farmers in providing the increased
shepherding that is needed to restore the hefts and allow these
habitats to flourish,' said English Nature's Andrew Brown."
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