Troubling Matter

This year, a matter - long-troubling - has come to prominence. Though about a particular place and circumstance, it displays some fundamentals, relevant across the globe. 

On the island of St Kilda, a World Heritage Site off the west coast of Scotland, are Soay sheep. Sheep die there each year from starvation, illness and parasitism. The starvation comes about because the size of the flock increases to an extent that there are not enough food resources to keep sheep fed adequately. 

Responsibility for the sheep on St Kilda resides with the Scottish government and the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). Monitoring of the sheep by The St Kilda Soay Sheep Project has taken place since 1985. 

The BBC reports (Starving sheep on St Kilda need help, say Western Isles vets, 10th May) an NTS spokeswoman as saying:

‘The Soay sheep are an important part of the St Kilda archipelago’s heritage, and originate from the population on the island of Soay where they were treated as a wild population for hundreds of years, unmanaged save for periodic hunting by the archipelago’s inhabitants.

The sheep will continue to be treated as feral animals with a presumption against intervention, except in exceptional circumstances, such as a serious outbreak of disease that threatens the sheep populations.’

The BBC also reports the Scottish government as saying ‘the history of the sheep meant they were not considered to be a species that was commonly domesticated within the British islands.’ The BBC report continues that a spokesman said ‘This means that provisions contained within the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2006 would not apply. This has been the consistent position of the Scottish government for many years.’ The spokesman added, according to the BBC, ‘We recognise that within any wild population of animals in Scotland there will be different challenges from year to year which may impact population numbers.’

Two retired vets, David Buckland and Graham Charlesworth, have launched a petition to The Scottish Parliament ‘to urge the Scottish Government to clarify the definition of protected animals contained in the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, and associated guidance, to ensure the feral sheep on St Kilda are covered by this legislation, enabling interventions to reduce the risk of winter starvation and the consequential suffering of sheep.’ 

Whether the sheep are regarded as feral or wild seems to be a critical thing in this whole matter. David Buckland ‘stresses that “feral” does not mean “wild” ’ and he says ‘An animal can’t be both’ (Eve McLachlan, ‘Feral on an uninhabited island, some dying from starvation: Uist Campaigners bring St Kilda sheep concerns to Parliament’, Press & Journal newsletter, Highlands & Islands, 6th May 2023). In a piece ‘St Kilda’s sheep in grave danger, vets warn’ (welovestornoway.com, 13th February 2023), is the comment ‘It appears that the official line is to regard the Soay sheep as wild animals and treat them the same way as wild deer despite being at odds with animal welfare health guidance that specifically includes the protection of feral sheep, goats and ponies.’

Earlier in the piece, were the remarks

‘… David Buckland and Graham Charlesworth are reportedly saying that no one appears to be taking responsibility for the management of the feral sheep, a situation that is being exacerbated by Scotland’s chief vet failing to include St Kilda’s sheep in animal health and welfare legislation aimed at preventing unnecessary harm and cruelty.

The veterinarians are alarmed that the feral sheep are being left to endure illness, parasites and hunger. As a result, it is believed that some 12,000 adult sheep and more than 4,000 lambs have died in the last two decades.’   

So, because of their perceived heritage, the sheep on St Kilda now are not intervened with. Some starve as an outcome. The sheep are not managed. The flock is not kept to a size commensurate with the available grazing on St Kilda. No supplementary feed is given. This is going too far beyond letting sheep do what is natural to them. Sheep still need to call upon humans for some help and care, and some decisions about where to be put to have appropriate and adequate basic resources of food, water, shelter. 

The ‘sheep on St Kilda circumstance’ surely tells us that we should never see an idea - and whether its correct or incorrect - as being of more importance than living creatures. So, seeing that living sheep have good health and welfare and ensuring that they do not suffer should take precedence over any espousal of, and adherence to concept - no matter what the effects. 

The fundamental message in all this is the generality, arising in all sorts of situations, that living creatures must have precedence over concept.