Unique Orkney ‘seaweed’ mutton under threat

● North Ronaldsay sheep sector facing challenges after abattoir closure

A rare sheep that is the only animal in the world outside of the Galapagos islands to be able to subsist entirely on seaweed is under threat after an abattoir in Orkney shut down.

The closure of Hatston abattoir has led to plans to have the native North Ronaldsay breed sent to Dingwall for processing, which could degrade the quality of the resulting mutton because of stress and weight loss.

Food campaigner Wendy Barrie is calling on the local council to consider other options to protect the flock, which she describes as “incalculably precious”.

One of Scotland’s oldest breeds, the sheep have traditionally been kept near the shore of the northern Ronaldsay island and owe their unique heritage to a touch of good fortune.

A former laird on the island

0 One of Scotland’s oldest breeds, the North Ronaldsay sheep have been around for more than 5,000 years

built a large dyke to keep them away from his pastureland, which inadvertently led to keeping their lineage pure.

Nearly feral and listed as “vulnerable”, the special flock

is maintained by the island community because of the high demand for its meat, and is already under threat from the falling population on the island and degradation

of the coastal dyke. Mrs Barrie believes that without the income from the mutton, the already fragile economy on North Ronaldsay will only become more fragile.

Campaigners believe that the sheep breed is unique because of its “terroir, provenance, heritage and flavour”.

However, a campaign to grant the breed special designation would be threatened with the closure of the council-run abattoir.

Mrs Barrie believes there are alternatives available, such as the Swedish method for reindeer culls which sees the animals killed in their natural environment using licenced vets and humane methods.

She added that there is also the option of a mobile abattoir which can be purchased from places such as Italy for around £100,000.

With the cull set to take place in November, she said the need for solutions to the problems is growing urgent.

There is now a petition in place to push for a new abattoir to be opened but that could take up to two years.

A spokesperson for Orkney Council said that the current model “is no longer sustainable” and that any future provision of abattoir services on the island “needs to be industry-led”.

The council added that “up to £50,000” has been made available to support a range of pre-project development costs.