ICSA Wants Scrutiny On Sheep Rustling

Following on from the increased reports of sheep rustling, Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) National President, Gabriel Gilmartin, has called on the Department of Agriculture to pay closer attention to distribution levels of tags to sheep farmers.

“We have noticed a worrying and increasing trend of sheep being stolen out of fields in recent times. The Department of Agriculture needs to be especially vigilant with unusually high requests for sheep tags from someone not previously known to be an active sheep farmer.

“It’s not unusual for an active farmer to go from 400 ewes to 600 ewes with investment but it’s highly unlikely that someone with 12 or 13 ewes would increase the flock to 200 or 300 in a season. Sheep cannot be sold or slaughtered without tags so a request for a major increase in tags may have been made by an unscrupulous farmer.

“Roadside butchers also need to be punished hard for their actions. There have been a number of notable reports recently of sheep been butchered out and with the head and offal left in the field. Lamb is valuable commodity and these people need to be met with the full letter of the law where found guilty.

“Vigilance is the key to this issue both with the farmer and, more importantly, the Department. The ICSA doesn’t want to hinder the growth of active and progressive sheep farmers but unusually high requests for tags need to be doubled checked by Department officials to ensure no foul play,” Mr. Gilmartin concluded.