Dead sheep in the river

[Cornholio]

Hi,

While out for a recreational paddle on Loch Insh and up the Spey to the confluence of the Tromie, I came across two dead sheep in a kilometre starting to look rather rank caught in the overhanging growth. Is there a "standard" thing to do in this situation? Contact the SCA person responsible for this stretch? Call the estates direct? Or just let them decompose?
I know this flat stretch won't affect any white water fans, but if they're dislodged and get on the move then it may affect someone, and Loch Insh Watersports is a short distance from them. I see plenty of OC's coming down this stretch with friends in WW/recreational(Dagger Approach style), and sometimes see folk rolling practicing...
Any ideas? Posted in INLAND too.

[Green.media]

My thoughts would be depends how far the sheep have got throguh there stages of decomposing, if possible to fish the out in one piece and bury them (with the land owners permission) then by all mean I would try to do that. How ever bare in mind, decomposing animals have a habbit of exploding on you If you try to move them!
also I had to fish a sheep out the trywern last year (alive) but they weigh more than you would imagine particularly when wet and have no were easy to pick up either (would like to see them fitted with grab handles and air bags in future)!

If they have started to balloon then I would leave them, once they go bang they sink quickly as its the gas that keeps them floating, in loch of that size I don't see an issue either as they will just disperse as with all organic matter in the eco system. or be eaten by fish and the beastys

Hope that helps,
Cheers
Rich

[Cornholio]

I know the head gamekeeper of one of the estates, he wasn't bothered at all, seems the farms on the estates are leased, and there's only one way the farmer will know that's when he brings the sheep in and notices the numbers don't add up! Also there's no guarantee where the sheep is is where it came from, could be well upstream.
I did the same paddle on the Saturday, 2 days later, and as I rounded the bend towards the first one(still there) I noticed some OC's with kids mucking about in them, then saw the adults on the bank. They were taking photos of the kids playing, one fell in....as I passed I shouted "I hope you've noticed the dead ram over there"..."yeah" was the short reply. The river is less than fifteen yards wide at this point and they were still just downstream of it. It's quite slow through the Insh marshes.
Contenders for the Darwin Awards methinks.....

[Seadog]

I am not sure how the law differs in Scotland but in England and Wales the disposasl of animal carcases are under legal control. Appropriate disposal mean the use of a licenced contractor not burial on the farm.

"Where an animal carcase is found on private land and ownership of the animal is known, then the owner of the animal will be held responsible and must dispose of the carcase appropriately. However, if ownership cannot be proven, responsibility for disposal rests with the landowner. The local authority, usually Trading Standards, has powers under the statutory nuisance provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to deal with "accumulations or deposits which are prejudicial to health or a nuisance". Appropriate action can subsequently be taken against the owner of the carcase"

In addition inappropriate or lack of disposal could also be reporeted to DEFRA.

I would be interested to know how different things are north of the border - of course this is domestic farm animals rather thsan deer etc. the reason being linked to control of foot and mouth etc.