Petition to award Old Irish Goats rare breed status

A PETITION has been launched to ban the hunting of critically endangered Old Irish Goats and award them rare breed status.

The Mulranny-based Old Irish Goat Society has been doing wonderful work identifying distinct feral populations, producing information leaflets and presentations, and setting up breeding programmes.

The Mayo herd hit the headlines last summer when a number of goats took up residence on Howth Head as part of a unique conservation project.

The goats are playing an important role in managing growth to reduce fire risk to homes, while also enhancing the biodiversity of the priority heathland habitats.

Now, an online petition has been launched on change.org calling on the Minister for Agriculture to award the Old Irish Goat Irish Native Rare Breed Status and ban the hunting of the feral population and protect their future as a matter of urgency.

The petition cites goats in areas outside of Mayo being at high risk of being shot to extinction.

Yasmin Fortune, who set up the petition, which has over 5,000 signatories to date, explained on the page: "The only way this ancient native endangered breed will survive is if it is illegal to hunt the feral population and they are awarded the protection of rare breed status - as the Galway sheep, the Droimeann, Dexter and Kerry cattle and the Connemara Pony, the Kerry Bog Pony and the Irish Draught Horse enjoy.

"This will qualify the Old Irish Goat for protection from hunting, for inclusion in GLAS and other schemes to encourage its survival, and raise awareness of its importance amongst the general public to ensure its future for generations to come.

"As a feral rather than a wild or domestic population, the breed has fallen between the remit of either the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Agriculture.

"This is unacceptable and provision for the NPWS to protect the ancient feral herds must be made alongside the provision for the captive-bred domestic population.

"If this issue is not addressed we will lose a massively important and irreplaceable part of our most ancient heritage.

"The feral herds which have existed in the wilds of our most remote glens and valleys for 5,000 years must be protected from being shot into extinction under the watch of this generation."

She added: "The Old Irish Goat is the quintessential symbol of the heritage of Ireland.

"It is our living connection with our Bronze Age ancestors - it inhabits the hills and glens they inhabited, it features in the ancient stories, it has provided food security from ancient times right through to saving many lives during the famine, its milk featured heavily in traditional medicine to keep us healthy and well for thousands of years.

"It is a symbol of harmony in biodiversity and a connection with the most remote places of our beautiful landscape which were held sacred by our ancestors - we owe this majestic breed much and the least we could do is ensure its survival."

More information and sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine-ban-the-hunting-of-critically-endangered-old-irish-goats-and-award-them-rare-breed-status?redirect=false&fbclid=IwAR0t6vf3k-d57smz8tM1ijTp_wHfXaqbIy6o6n6XbOy2sb5IjzWzUcoiyUM