Better Life In Fife - Glenrothes - Kirkcaldy - Dunfermline - Leven - Cupar - St Andrews

November 2008 Edition

This site is currently being revised and it will take some time before normal service is resumed. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Ewe Couldn't Make This Up!

For centuries, sheep have roamed the barren hills and glens of Scotland and have contributed meat at countless mealtime tables while consumed by many wearing garments made from the woollen fleece shorn from their bodies. Even today, sheep contribute to the national economy while often compelled to eke out a lliving on land virtually uselless for any other purpose. In many parts of our nation, particularly in the North Western regions, life is hard and where weather can be fairlly severe yet regarded as normal. In such circumstance, they are permitted to roam freely rather than be enclosed within fixed perimeters.

There are about 30 million sheep in Europe and about 7.1 million of these are resident in Scotland. There are more sheep in Scotland than there are people whose current population is far less at around 5 million. As such, sheep farming does contribute to our national economy and anything affecting flocks is usually bad news. The latest proposal from the EC though sounds like something people might regard as humour yet sadly; it's true!

Apparently, some nameless beaurocrat(s) in the EC wants all sheep to be electronically tagged with a tracking device although what benefit this would bring has not been specified. Taking this on board and accepting the necessity of such expenditures and investment; there would need to be staff to monitor such results and then files kept of such movements with no perceivable benefits whatsover. After all factors are brought to bear in a logical fashion, it might seem better to electronically tag the individual or group who came up with this idea so they can be monitored for signs of mental illness, stress or jobworthy muppetry!