Two of the UK’s most cherished native sheep breeds - the Manx Loaghtan and the Leicester Longwool - have been escalated to the most urgent ‘priority’ category.
The native breeds are included in the newly released Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) Watchlist, sparking calls for action to protect Britain’s agricultural biodiversity.
Published today (24 April) by the charity, the Watchlist serves as an annual report on the status of rare native livestock and equine breeds.
The report raises serious concerns over declining populations of several breeds, with the Manx Loaghtan and Leicester Longwool sheep seeing sharp downturns in pedigree breeding activity and genetic diversity.
The Manx Loaghtan, a hardy, primitive sheep breed native to the Isle of Man, has suffered a 34% drop in dams producing pedigree offspring since 2022.
The breed’s ‘effective population’ size—a measure of genetic diversity—has now fallen to its lowest point since records began in 2000.
Known for their reddish-brown fleece and distinctive multi-horned appearance, Manx Loaghtans were once near extinction in the 1950s.
The Leicester Longwool, prized for its long, lustrous fleece and distinctive spiral curls, has also seen worrying declines.
The number of breeding dams dropped by 29% in 2024, accompanied by a continued fall in effective population size.
Once pivotal in the development of modern sheep breeds, the Leicester Longwool’s popularity has waned alongside the general decline in demand for wool.
RBST chief executive Christopher Price highlighted the successes seen in other rare breeds thanks to targeted conservation efforts and is urging a similar approach for the two now-priority-listed sheep breeds.
“It is very positive to see signs of stabilisation in several very rare breeds which were previously showing declining numbers, such as Gloucester cattle and the Large White pig," he said.
“However our concern is deepening for others among the UK’s irreplaceable native breeds which are seeing their numbers continue to fall, including the Manx Loaghtan and Leicester Longwool sheep.
"These two iconic breeds really pay testament to the fantastic and invaluable diversity within the UK’s native sheep breeds."
RBST is now calling on the Defra Secretary to reinstate the Ministerial Native Breeds Roundtable, a cross-departmental initiative previously tasked with coordinating strategic support for native breeds.
The charity believes that reinstating this platform is essential to ensure joined-up action across government, working in partnership with organisations like RBST and breed societies.
