England's wildlife watchdog points out major flaw in Dartmoor pony cull

The English wildlife watchdog has pointed out a significant flaw in a potential plan to cull Dartmoor ponies.

Campaigners say requirements to cut livestock grazing on the moor’s commons under new contracts from the Government’s conservation agency quango Natural England could lead to the removal of up to 90 per cent of its hill ponies, which would likely have to be culled.

The Conservatives have been leading protests against the plans, while local Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden warned that the plans could lead to the "near elimination" of ponies on the moor.

However, sources within Natural England insisted it is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) policy at fault, as it fails to differentiate between sheep and ponies.

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The source said while sheep tend to eat the more important plants, horses are better at stripping the moor of unpalatable vegetation, such as molinia grass and gorse, both of which swamp the peat bogs and heather of the moor.

Also, farmers are more likely to get rid of ponies than their sheep, as they can sell the latter for meat.

The source told The Guardian: "Defra policy in agri-environment schemes does not allow us to differentiate between livestock animals in making agreements."

They added this lack of distinction had been "deeply frustrating."

Dartmoor hill ponies have been on the landscape for 4,500 years, although numbers have dwindled from 6,000 25 years ago to fewer than a thousand today, owing to historical policy changes, and they have been declared an endangered breed, campaigners say.

Campaigners warn the new schemes will cut livestock, including ponies, by 56 per cent to 89 per cent, even though they say previous cuts to stocking densities, which the ponies were previously protected from, have not boosted biodiversity on Dartmoor.

The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association says the move will force commoners, who have rights to put livestock on the commons of the moor, to choose between commercial sheep and cattle and the ponies for which they have traditionally been guardians.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, said: "This is total madness from another unaccountable quango. The Government must overrule Natural England and stop it immediately. Keir Starmer is on his way to making his last acts in office the shameful underfunding of our military and the mass slaughter of Dartmoor ponies."

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Lib Dem Ms Voaden, whose South Devon constituency includes part of Dartmoor, said: "I am deeply alarmed, as are many others, that we might see the near elimination of ponies on the moor. The potential consequences of Natural England’s proposed grazing contracts are staggering.

“We must do everything we can to protect what are among the last semi-wild species of pony in the UK and ensure their survival for generations to come."

But Guy Shrubsole, a Devon-based campaigner and author of The Lie Of The Land, which examines failures in land stewardship, hit back at what he described as the "horse-s***" being spoken over the issue.

He said: "This is a conspiracy theory being whipped up on social media. Nobody is proposing a cull. Nature on Dartmoor is dying and this is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issue: overgrazing by sheep."

Defence minister and Plymouth MP Luke Pollard has also called for the ponies to be given a carve out.

In an open letter to Defra, he said: "I am deeply concerned that the proposed contracts include ponies within overall livestock unit limits, which risks creating a financial incentive to prioritise more commercially viable livestock, such as cattle and sheep, over ponies."

Responding to the reports, a Defra spokesman said: "Dartmoor ponies are an important part of Dartmoor’s heritage and also key to supporting the habitats of Dartmoor.

"Natural England are not recommending a cull and this government wouldn’t support one."

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "Let me be very clear on this: this government will not allow a cull of Dartmoor ponies and we don’t manage feral pony populations by culling in this country.

"Natural England has not recommended a cull of Dartmoor ponies and it does not have the power to order a cull and has not advised one.

"More broadly, Dartmoor ponies are part of the cultural landscape of Dartmoor and play a vital role in the health of its moorland habitats."

The ponies are "safe under this Government", she added.

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