The petition of residents of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk,
Declares that wild goats have been roaming Langholm Moor and Newcastleton Hill for hundreds of years and play an important part in the biodiversity and natural history of the Scottish Borders; further declares that, despite this, Oxygen Conservation who own the land that they roam have started to cull this ancient animal without any consideration to the historical and emotional significance they carry for the local community; and notes that over 4,300 people have signed a similar petition to the Scottish Parliament on this issue.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to make representations to the Scottish Government on their behalf, to encourage them to stop the cull of wild goats on Langholm Moor and Newcastleton Hill and ensure the survival of this ancient animal in the Scottish Borders by granting them national protected status.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by John Lamont, Official Report, 29 April 2025; Vol. 766, c. 299.]
[P003064]
Observations from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mary Creagh):
The protection of primitive goat species in the Scottish Borders is a devolved matter. As such, it is for the Scottish Government and their agencies to set their own priorities for the management of wild goat species in the Scottish Borders.