Survey reveals extent of hill sheep decline across Britain

A LAKES-based sheep industry boss has blamed environmental policies for a decline in upland breeding flocks.

John Geldard, chairman of the National Sheep Association, spoke out after a study by sheep and beef industry organisation EBLEX revealed a drop of 2.2 million ewes being mated in Britain between 2003 and 2012, the latest year for which figures are available.

He said government schemes were encouraging landowners and farmers to 'take sheep off the hills'.

"These are detrimental rather than beneficial as they are creating an imbalance. What people must realise is that sheep are not just about providing meat but about managing the landscape which both the environment and tourism depend on.

"Once these sheep are lost from the fells, you have lost them forever."

In its report summary, EBLEX highlighted that a reduction in ewe numbers in the three main hill breeds - Scottish Blackface, Swaledale and Welsh Mountain - was responsible for most of the drop in ewe numbers nationally since 2003.

The study was based on a questionnaire sent to 42,215 wool producers registered with the British Wool Marketing Board.

It revealed that while upland breeds were in decline, lowland breeds such as the Texel and its derivatives, the Lleyn and the Bluefaced Leicester had 'notably increased'.

EBLEX said the number of sheep breeds found in Britain continued to increase, with 106 identified in 2012.

"New breeds were either imported foreign breeds, re-imported UK breeds (for example, the New Zealand Romney) or composites made up from existing genetic material."

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Survey reveals extent of hill sheep decline across Britain