| << View Previous Topic | View Next Topic >> |
| Author |
Message |
John Anderson
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 387
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:07 pm Post Subject: Copeland: Open Letter About Arapawa Goats |
|
|
Copeland: Open Letter About Arapawa Goats
Wednesday, 26 March 2008, 3:32 pm
Press Release: Gordon Copeland
| Quote: | OPEN LETTER
Dear Sir/Madam,
The controversy over the unique Arapawa Island goats in the Marlborough Sounds, needs resolving by commonsense, practical means.
I am having a meeting with Steve Chadwick, the Minister of Conservation, in early April to look at the situation objectively. I believe it is possible both to preserve a beautiful part of our natural history and at the same time the flora and fauna on that island. Having said that regeneration of native vegetation is flourishing on Arapawa Island and it needs to be determined whether the proposed goat cull is justified or it just policy based on the old dogma of hating so-called "introduced species."
I have been actively promoting proper recognition of wild animals such as wild deer, chamois and tahr and in setting up a government panel to examine the situation.
It needs to be remembered that DNA testing has proven the Arapawa Goats to be a genetically unique breed. They are the descendants of two goats left on the island by Captain James Cook in 1773. We have a duty to safeguard and preserve these goats for all time.
Gordon Copeland MP
ENDS |
A previous press release regarding the Arapawa situation:
| Quote: | New move to save the unique goats of Arapawa Is
Monday, 3 March 2008, 10:08 am
Press Release: Arapawa Island Goats
Time is running out for the unique goats of Arapawa Island, as a DOC cull looms.
In response, a group of concerned rare breeds enthusiasts from around New Zealand, the UK and the USA have come together to try to raise enough money to rescue as many goats as possible before the cull takes place in March.
The money will be used to help Betty Rowe of the Arapawa Wildlife Trust (and island resident) to repatriate as many animals as possible, to save their unique genetics which are found nowhere else in the world.
While the Arapawa Island goat isn’t a native animal of New Zealand, it is an endangered breed only found here. It is thought that the goats originate from a few left by Captain James Cook on visits to NZ in 1773 and 1777. It may be with more DNA testing that the goats can be shown to be ancestors of the now extinct Old English Goat, a breed that died out in the UK in the 1950s.
Betty’s Wildlife Trust already provides a sanctuary to approximately 50 of the goats, but the more goats that can be saved, the more genetics will be available for breeding for future generations. The total number of goats worldwide is believed to be approximately 360, with a precious few exported to rare breed enthusiasts in the UK and USA to help protect their genetics if NZ ever has a biosecurity threat such as Foot and Mouth.
Read More... |
See more of the Arapawa animals and Betty Rowe in our Photo Gallery: Here...... |
|
| Back to top |
|
smashdracs
Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 1001
Location: Wellington NZ
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:04 pm Post Subject: |
|
|
Dont kill the goats.
Keep us posted as to cull times. I will come down and provide a human shield (no bull my boss will go for it). |
|
| Back to top |
|
smashdracs
Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 1001
Location: Wellington NZ
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:07 pm Post Subject: |
|
|
| And not because he wants me shot :-) |
|
| Back to top |
|
Deano
Joined: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 741
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:41 pm Post Subject: |
|
|
| That would be a dam shame for sure, tunnel vision politics at work. Betty's goats look in fine condition going by those photos. |
|
| Back to top |
|
John Anderson
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 387
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:55 pm Post Subject: |
|
|
It's not Betty's goats they want to cull, but the wild goats outside of her property. When Betty's father in the US died some years ago, she spent all the money on fencing her property (quite substantial) to keep her goats safe from DOC and hunters. Unfortunately hunters have still managed to shoot some of her pets from boats. The law won't prosecute them for some unknown reason - even though it is known who they are... All in all a crazy situation.
We've asked Betty to advise us when the date of a DOC cull is known, and we'll post it here. |
|
| Back to top |
|
smashdracs
Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 1001
Location: Wellington NZ
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:01 pm Post Subject: |
|
|
| Aha. So it is Betty's goats specifically that need Govt protection. |
|
| Back to top |
|
Melody Anderson
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:03 pm Post Subject: |
|
|
Interestingly, we have had publishers in the US contact us about using photographs of some of our pictures of the Arapawa goats in their upcoming manual/encyclopaedia on goat breeds. It shows how rare they really are.
Amazing that DOC are taking this stance, particularly if what Betty says about the cessation of sheep farming on the island 10 years ago actually leading to regenereation of native flora is true... |
|
| Back to top |
|
Melody Anderson
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:08 am Post Subject: |
|
|
| smashdracs wrote: | | Aha. So it is Betty's goats specifically that need Govt protection. |
Knowing Betty, she regards all the goats on the island as 'her goats'... Her goats represent goats rounded up and saved from earlier DOC culls. They are all of the rare Arapawa goat variety. The surviving numbers worldwide are very small.
This should give you an idea:
| Gordon Copeland wrote: | I am advised that Arapawa Island is around 17,000 acres in extent. No one has accurate information about the number of goats but it is has been put to me that the population is probably no greater than around 120 and that they live in an area which is probably no larger than 2-3,000 acres. In other words, they occupy only a small section of the Island's total area.
The total number of goats in private ownership is estimated to be 307 (124 in the USA, 20 in Great Britain, and 163 in New Zealand) so that, if the estimated number in the wild on the island is correct, the total herd, worldwide, is just 427. |
Betty looks after about 50 goats at the sanctuary.
Naturally her goats within the sanctuary are not at risk from the DOC shooters. She has a TV crew visiting there today, so there may be some telly coverage soon.
Betty has suggested that anyone interested in lending a hand can contact her directly: walt.betty@xtra.co.nz
She also sent through the following links:
http://arapawagoats.com/
http://www.arapawagoat.org/
http://www.warmwell.com/arapawagoats.html
And here's a radio interview that reports the cull is now postponed till September to give locals time to round up and repatriate as many goats as they can...
http://www.radionz.co.nz/__data/assets/audio_item/0018/1411308/ckpt-20080325-1755-Arapawa_Goat_Cull_Reprieve-wmbr.asx |
|
| Back to top |
|
Melody Anderson
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:38 pm Post Subject: |
|
|
| Betty spent the day with a TV3 camera crew. Watch out for her on Campbell Live next week, Tuesday or Wednesday apparently... |
|
| Back to top |
|
Melody Anderson
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
|
|
| Back to top |
|
steve clougher
Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 969
Location: north-east victoria
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:24 pm Post Subject: |
|
|
| how do Arapawa goats perform as milking goats?.......anyone know? |
|
| Back to top |
|
| |
