Ragwort petition

Foxy girl

Foxy girl

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Hope I'm not breaking any forum rules but you all know how close I cam to losing my horse through ragwort so I have set up an online petition via the Downing Street website, to ask the Prime Minister to tighten the laws regarding ragwort in the UK.

If we get more than 200 names the PM has to look into the issue and report back so PLEASE sign up and help raise awareness in government of the damage this weed can do...

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Ragwort/

Thank you!
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Done - can I just add don't forget to click on the link in the email they send you or it sounds as though your name won't be added!

Well done for organizing this, am also wondering how your horse is getting on - has she come home yet?
 
Can I just point out that although ragwort is very poisonous, it is also an important part of our ecosystems over here, for example the caterpillar of the cinnebar moth feeds on it, so whilst I agree there is no place for it in a horse's field/hay fields, it would also be very bad news to eradicate it entirely.

Also, there are also laws regarding it already - it isn't really the laws which are the problem IMO, it's the enforcement (which is pretty much non-existent).

Sorry, don't mean to sound negative, I just want people to have a balanced view - I know this is very emotive for you, and I hope there is a positive outcome for foxy and you.
 
For those of you wondering (BethH) Foxy came home about 3 weeks ago and so far so good! Obviously we still have no idea of the internal damage and Leahurst can't believe she's still alive but she's keeping herself hydrated, eating v. well and just very happy to be home.
Another blood test next week will tell us if she's any better inside and will dictate whether or not I can ride her or retire her...
Thanks again for all your support
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SpottedCat - completely agree and if you look at the online petition you'll see that I've worded it deliberately carefully to make sure the laws relate to liability on the landowners' part so that if they receive payment for grazing etc, then they are responsible if something happens to an animal.

I work for a conservation organisation so fully aware of ragwort's importance (unfortunately) in our ecosystems, just want to see it removed from horses fields and there be some comeback if it isn't...!

Your point about the enforcement is exactly my point. There aren't laws in place, there are controls - what we need is laws so that liability can be attributed and people forced into doing something about it.

At least a petition like this raises awareness in government which is the main thing...
 
Oo, being nosey, who do you work for?

But there is already a Ragwort Control Act (2004) which meant the code of practice was published which in turn means it is easier (theoretically) to prosecute people who do not control it as per the code:

Publication will make it easier to prosecute those who disregard the need to control ragwort since the Code will be admissible in evidence in enforcement proceedings under the Weeds Act 1959. The Act empowers the Secretary of State
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to serve notice requiring an occupier of land on which Common Ragwort (or four other injurious weeds) is growing to take action to prevent it from spreading. The Code should provide a yardstick against which compliance with an enforcement notice served under the Act can be measured. This will ensure that all parties know in advance what is considered
reasonable action to comply with an enforcement notice.

Not sure what else can be done? It is already listed under the injurious weeds act, which allows the enforcement notice to be served and therefore people to be prosecuted if they ignore the enforcement notice, and there are now guidelines for when it should be controlled which are admissable as evidence in court.

Just keen to understand how you think all this could be tightened up?
 
Done (And the Cinnebar moth used to feed on groundsill when I was a kid, you never saw ragwort,so it can go back to eating groundsil)Also it is poisonous to sheep goats and cattle (Probably Alpaca's too)
 
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apparently nothing can survive off it, it was thought that a certain moth could but then that started dying out aswell!Its harmfull to humans and can cause liver damage.

anywho i have signed it!
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Wrong! The caterpillar of the Cinnebar moth feeds primarily off ragwort (as noted above it does also feed on groundsel/coltsfoot) - the toxins in the ragwort make the caterpillar taste very bitter which in turn affords it protection from birds - protection which it won't get if it can only feed from groundsel/coltsfoot. Have a look at the butterfly conservation site amongst others if you don't believe me! There is also a site promoting the cinnabar as biocontrol, but how legit it is I don't know as they don't seem to be linked to CABI bioscience who do most of the biocontrol research in this country.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against it being eradicated from pasture/hay crops (in fact I pulled a plant the other day), but so many horse owners want to see it gone altogether, which is not an environmentally sound view.
 
We have quite a lot in our field
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just waiting till its flowered so its ready to pick so we spend the day getting rid of the stuff!
we got rid of the lot last year now its back more than before! But not sure YO's realise the full dangers as they are none horsey

so signed!
 
He!He! I am a teacher and last year said to the head he had to get the ragwort cleared from the school grounds! Well nothing was done so I did it.

This year I said to the care taker if Head teacher didnt sort it out I was going to report it to Defra and the school would get a £10,000 fine!!! Ok I exaggerated a bit but they dont know that!!! It was cleared the next day!!
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Sorry conservationists!
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Dont suppose I'll get promotion now
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Will sign petition. So glad your horse is still eating. Its a really good sign!
 
Hopefully get DEFRA off their arses & implement the law that exists. Livestock eat wagwort they don't live long enough for us to see the effects, they are slaughtered and so passed in the foodchain. Irrespective of change I just wouldn't eat Supermarket meats you don't always know what they've eaten
 
I thought the current law already required landowners to remove ragwort.

Making something illegal does not actually stop it happening. Murder has been illegal for a while now, but people still do it!
 
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