NSA responds strongly to article labelling sheep 'a menace of the countryside'
26th November 2021
The National Sheep Association (NSA) is shocked and disappointed by factually incorrect and damaging comments made of UK sheep farming in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph (Thursday 25th November 2021).
In the article titled ‘There’s a fluffy white menace that is spoiling Britain’s National Parks’ ‘destination expert’ Chris Moss labels sheep as a blot on the landscape suggesting they be removed from National Parks and failing to recognise their importance to the countryside he is enjoying or the rural communities that so many appreciate visiting.
NSA Chief Executive says: “The comments made in this piece are both unhelpful and divisive at a time when many in agriculture and the environmental movement are working together to move to an even more multifunctional land use and approach to farming.
“Mr Moss states that sheep are ruining our landscapes, including National Parks, ignoring the fact the vast majority of these are in areas where sheep farming is the predominant land use activity. Maybe he should consider that it is thousands of years of sheep and livestock farming in these areas that has actually made these iconic regions such that people want to designate them as national parks. In fact, sheep farming and its relationship with the Lake District landscape and culture is one of the core reasons why this national park was designated a World Heritage site in 2017.”
The article suggests the UK must reforest great swathes of the countryside if it is to get near national climate goals failing to acknowledge that planting forests on peat soils such as those found in many National Parks has actually been shown to have a negative influence on carbon emissions compared to leaving it to native vegetation that has evolved to thrive under natural grazing.
And rather than the sheep ‘poo’ polluting the soil as stated in the article it forms part of a natural ecological cycle that has gone on for millions of years sustaining firstly soil life, and then as a result, life above the soil too.
Mr Stocker continues: “I hope it doesn’t come as too much of a shock but Mr Moss should know that his weekly organic vegetable box is likely in part at least, to be relying on livestock manure feeding the soil and providing nutrients for growth. And if he is one of the small number of our population that chooses never to include lamb or mutton in his dishes then he will very well know that the soya, almond and palm oil that he relies on for his nutrition does little to support the forests in other parts of the world. Britain’s mainly pastoral National Parks in contrast, play an important role in sustainable food production.”
Highlighting the common misconception that removing grazing livestock from the countryside will still allow people to enjoy them as they have done for centuries Mr Stocker continues: “Removing sheep and cattle would soon result in walkers having to carry a brushcutter with them to clear a route through the Molinia grass, bracken, brambles, and gorse that would grow without the grazing animals to keep this at bay – unless of course its recently suffered from a wildfire where uncontrolled burns will kill wildlife, damage peat, and further damage air quality. The images we saw in Australia last year are ones we don’t want to see more of here.
“Finally, Mr Moss should know that National Park ‘territory’ is an area-based land designation, but the vast majority of the land is not owned by the National Park, or the Government, or ‘the people’. In fact, it is not a park at all in the normal meaning of the word. This land is mainly privately owned and integrated into local enterprise and economies, and these communities and their traditional farming methods need to be treated with respect and consideration - not carelessly attacked as done so in this feature.”
The original article by the Telegraph can be found here.
