Here's the press release from the Rare breeds Survival Trust (I've already emailed it to ALL the councillors listed above, asking them to consider opening the meeting to public consultation/discussion and expressing the concern felt by the farming community as a whole at this proposal)
Oh, how sick of me are they going to be by the end of this lol!
Commenting on the proposed Removal of the Rare Breed Livestock collection from Palacerigg Country Park in North Lanarkshire,
Peter Titley, President of RBST said:
“Any moves which undermine or threaten agricultural activity in the UK are a matter of concern. Farmers and stockeepers have had a difficult time in recent years from a range of threats: from animal disease to climate change and from the credit squeeze to the competition from cheap imports. Despite all this, consumer interest in farming and the wider environment has never been more apparent. The links between our land and the crops and animals which grow upon it, plus the importance of our agricultural heritage, have a deservedly high public profile as all UK governments seek to better inform the public.
It is troubling, therefore, when we hear of the threat to the established collection of farm animals at Palacerigg - This conservation flagship that has been at the forefront of North Lanarkshire Council’s magnificent support of native breeds of farm animals for many years. It is an important part of the UK network of Approved Conservation Centres promoted by RBST and for many years was the only such establishment in Scotland.
A recent RBST report on Palacerigg describes its animals as “outstanding” and identifies the high quality of management and husbandry while underlining the value of the enterprise to the general public. Since it opened, Palacerigg has provided an immeasurable amount of education and information for thousands of visitors. At the same time, the name of North Lanarkshire Council has been held in high esteem by other livestock keepers who have seen the results of the skill and husbandry of Palacerigg farm staff.
RBST has not yet had an opportunity to assess the specific genetic importance of the bloodlines of the animals currently at Palacerigg but the fact that they are listed under our conservation umbrella is cause enough for us to seek to influence the Council against their removal.
The conservation effort at Palacerigg is something of which the North Lanarkshire Council may be justifiably proud. The removal of the collection of rare farm animals would deprive the enterprise of a significant element and, moreover, would deprive Scotland of one of its keystone conservation projects.
These animals are not museum pieces: they are a living reservoir of the genetic materials which provided the foundations and bedrock of the livestock industry of the British Isles. These creatures have played a vital role in our past. They are again poised to influence the future of extensive and traceable models of stock rearing and to educate current and future generations about the links between food and farming.
On behalf of RBST I will seek to meet with representatives of the Council and with others in the locality who would be interested in exploring alternatives to the dispersal of these important animals.“
Note to Editors
1. Contact: RBST President - Peter Titley 01785 850183 or email :
[email protected];
2. RBST was established in 1973 as the world’s first national non-governmental organisation created for the genetic conservation of farm animal genetic resources and its Patron is HRH Prince Charles. During the first seven decades of the 1900’s, 26 native breeds of livestock became extinct in Britain. Since the formation of the RBST no native breeds have been lost.
3. RBST monitors the female breeding numbers of the UK’s livestock (sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, poultry and equines) to determine the viability of a breed. Those most at risk are placed on the RBST Watchlist.
4. Further information on
www.rbst.org.uk
