Where Did Hastings' Cows Go? Coastguards Help Track Herd On The Move

Tuesday, 28 July 2020 22:51

By John Warburton @Warblefly

Belted Galloway with radio tracking collar (Photo: Hastings Borough Council)

When Hastings Borough Council staff were in danger of losing track of cows roaming freely in Hastings Country Park to help local ecology, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's new radio mast brought a solution.

In the nature reserve, the council allows Belted Galloway cattle to roam free in order to help restore threatened heathland and coastal grassland habitats.

When the cattle were fitted with radio tracking collars to track their movements, the council found the base-station's tracking aerials weren't high enough to track the cattle in the deepest parts of the glens.

According to the borough council, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency heard about the grazing project and its problems just as they were building a new coastguard mast at the country park and offered to put the cattles' tracking aerials higher up, on the Coastguard mast.

Councillor Maya Evans, lead Cabinet member for natural environment and leisure and chair of the Hastings Country Park Management Board said:

"Cattle grazing to control invasive vegetation is a far more preferred method compared to the use of machinery and potentially chemical herbicides.

"We are trying to develop the use of free-range livestock to support biodiversity in our country park, bringing back traditional methods which work in harmony with nature.

"Thanks to this unique partnership between the council and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the conservation grazing can now be fully monitored.

"We are very grateful to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for putting our aerial on their mast, as it now means we have extensive coverage of where our cattle are grazing so we can target their grazing in areas most beneficial for biodiversity.

"We can use the data from the cattle to target areas of the park where conservation grazing can help manage the threatened and rare habitats of the park without the need for machinery.

"It also means we can ensure the cattle's welfare by constant monitoring, which is just as important to us."

Thomas Ogg, Senior IT Service Manager (Infrastructure), Maritime and Coastguard Agency added:

"When we heard the value of grazing project for threatened and rare habitats in the park, we were delighted to be able to offer our help.

"This is a unique partnership for the agency, and we are pleased the cattle can now be tracked and their grazing monitored fully."