Reducing pony numbers could increase wildfire risk, warns councillor
Plymouth City Council has accepted a motion which calls for a rethink of a controversial grazing contract policy
More than 200,000 people have now signed a petition against new grazing contracts - which they say could force farmers to reduce the numbers of Dartmoor ponies.
Natural England says it's not proposing a cull, but is worried about the state of ecology on the moor and wants to ensure a balance
Daniel Steel, a Plymouth City Councillor who's brought a motion against the new quotas, said: "These aree ponies that have been there since the Bronze Age, 4,000 years at least.
"They're genetically distinct. You can't replace or breed them and bring them back.
"If the policy goes wrong in the way that local groups are saying it will, what you will end up with is you will lose the ponies forever."
Cllr Steel says the ponies should be part of the solution, reflecting: "They are the ones eating that invasive grass and that invasie grass funny enough is flammable.
"Last year there was fires on the moors and 500 hectares of moorland went up in flames because of that invasive grass that only the ponies will eat. The ponies aren't the problem."
The motions calls on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural England to exclude the iconic animals from commercial stocking calculations.
Cllr Steel said: "Downing Street says it won't allow a cull. The Prime Minister and DEFRA have both said so publicly. We welcome that but words are not enough.
"Until Natural England’s grazing agreements explicitly exclude ponies from commercial stocking calculations, commoners potentially face an impossible choice between protecting a breed that has been on Dartmoor for four thousand years and protecting their own livelihoods.
"Plymouth City Council should add its voice clearly and without equivocation."
The motion also notes that Local Government Reorganisation may bring parts of Dartmoor within Plymouth's administrative area, making the long-term stewardship of the moor a matter of direct and growing relevance to the council.
What has Natural England said?
The full Natural England blog can be found here
What has the Prime Minister - Sir Keir Starmer - said?
A spokesperson for the Labour party and Number 10 said: "Dartmoor ponies are a key part of the landscape and its ecology.
"Natural England is not recommending a cull and this government would not support one".
Where can I find the petition?