0:00:27 > 0:00:31Guernsey, the second largest of the Channel Islands -
0:00:31 > 0:00:35a beautiful, unspoilt paradise, 60 miles from the UK
0:00:35 > 0:00:37and within sight of France.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40It's the island's unique terrain and small size
0:00:40 > 0:00:44that makes it perfect for one type of farming in particular - dairy.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48And that is where these iconic bovines come in, the Guernsey cow.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51But could it be a breed that's under threat? I'll be finding out.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59'A Guernsey tradition that's not so well known lies beneath the sea.'
0:00:59 > 0:01:02It's one of the most eagerly anticipated days
0:01:02 > 0:01:03in the Guernsey calendar.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06A day when people from across the island hit the shores
0:01:06 > 0:01:10in pursuit of a rare island delicacy, the ormer.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13I'll be joining them out there on the first ormering tide,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16that special tide that signals it's time to harvest.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21'By New Year's Day this year, most British farmers
0:01:21 > 0:01:24'had complied with new European laws on keeping chickens.'
0:01:24 > 0:01:28But the same can't be said for many of their continental competitors.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32So is anything being done about it? I'll be investigating.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36'Down on the farm, Adam's taking a step back in time.'
0:01:36 > 0:01:40I'll be discovering how farmers moved their sheep around
0:01:40 > 0:01:42before the time of motorised transport.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45One thing's for sure, you certainly had to be fit.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02Guernsey - high cliffs in the south, sandy beaches in the north
0:02:02 > 0:02:06and a patchwork of intricately-woven farmland in between.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09It's the second largest of the Channel Islands.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13At just nine miles by five, It's compact and bijou.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Even though the island is closer to France than Britain,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20it remains loyal to the Crown.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25And with its special climate of mild winters and long, warm summers,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29it often feels more French than British,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31even in January.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36'Farming on the island is quite different to anywhere else.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39'Guernsey farmland is divided into tiny fields,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42'by ancient earth banks and hedges.'
0:02:42 > 0:02:46The way that Guernsey is managed, is very traditional,
0:02:46 > 0:02:52due to the lay of the land and the fact that the average field size here is just 1.5 acres,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54so using big machinery, just isn't an option.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58'Mind you, this fella gave it a go. But how did it come to be like this?
0:02:58 > 0:03:04'Well, hopefully, Andrew Casebow, the man with the map, can tell me.'
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Andrew, obviously technology has changed over the years,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10but has the way that this island is been managed, has that changed?
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Well, quite amazingly, not really,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17because actually what we have is a mediaeval field system.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20This is the Duke of Richmond map.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24This actually shows the field sizes, the field positions
0:03:24 > 0:03:28and the hedge boundaries from 1787.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- Can we find where we are now? - I reckon this is the field here.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34And we're looking down here to the West Coast of Guernsey.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38The fields around us are exactly as they were in 1787.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Why haven't the hedges been taken out over the years?
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Nearly every field here is owned by a different person,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47so there's a huge fragmentation of land ownership,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51and so the field boundary was the boundary between two people.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54But even if you have a field, two fields that are owned
0:03:54 > 0:03:57by the same person, there are laws that would prevent him
0:03:57 > 0:04:00taking out the hedge bank between those two fields.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03And is that the case with the other Channel Islands as well?
0:04:03 > 0:04:05They have different schemes,
0:04:05 > 0:04:10so each of the islands are essentially self-governing, but in the main, yes.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- But bigger fields on Jersey? - My goodness, Jersey have much larger fields.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17They're much more arable fields, so they are much larger.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Guernsey's very small.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22'The fields may be too small for arable,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26'but they're perfect for one type of farming in particular.'
0:04:26 > 0:04:30And that's where these four-legged beauties come in - the Guernsey cow.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35'The dairy industry has long-been vital to the island's economy.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39'Doe-eyed Guernsey cow has been the poster girl for this place for years.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42'I'm catching up with farmer Ray Watts and his herd of Golden lovelies.'
0:04:45 > 0:04:48They do have a wonderful temperament, your cows, Ray,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51but from a milk and a meat perspective,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53they can produce some pretty unique stuff.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56The milk is absolutely unbelievable. It's creamy, it's smooth.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00For breakfast, you couldn't wish for anything better.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04There's no other breed that produces anything of that calibre.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And, of course, the meat is also very distinguishable,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11because when you slaughter it and hang it, it's the fat,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14the colour of the fat is a bright yellow,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18- and, of course, local inhabitants absolutely love it. - Well, this is the thing.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20I was coming over from the airport
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and I had a word with the taxi driver and he used to be a policeman
0:05:23 > 0:05:27and he used to work in the mortuaries, and he said, I know it sounds morbid,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30but when you cut somebody open, you can tell if they were born
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and raised on the island because of the colour of the fat.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- Is it good for you, though? - It's like everything.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Everything in small quantities is brilliant.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45When you see some substitutes for butter, I think the real thing is still miles ahead.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49- I'm being pulled back here! - LAUGHTER
0:05:49 > 0:05:53They are very inquisitive. Just grabbed the back of my jacket.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58We are talking about you, girls, and you are lovely, you are beautiful.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59THEY LAUGH
0:05:59 > 0:06:02They're a very durable breed.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05It's happening again, I'm about to disappear.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08THEY LAUGH
0:06:08 > 0:06:12'Well, I don't know if they've always been that inquisitive,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15'but the breed here has remained pure for centuries.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20'This is because importing other breeds onto the island was banned in the early 1800s.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23'As a result, they've managed to avoid a lot of the disease
0:06:23 > 0:06:25'that affects cattle across Britain.'
0:06:25 > 0:06:29But these cows, they're so important to this island, aren't they?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Oh, absolutely.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I suppose Guernsey, wherever we travel in the world,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Guernsey is renowned for its cattle.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40All the Guernseys around the world trace our ancestry back to here
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and so it's important that we maintain the base of the breed here,
0:06:44 > 0:06:49- because if the Guernsey breed disappears from its home, what hope is there?- Absolutely.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53'The cows are held in such high regard that traditionally,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57'you could only buy milk on Guernsey that came from Guernsey cows.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59'It's been the law for years.'
0:06:59 > 0:07:03It's a law that's protected the breed and dairy farming.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08'But now, one shopkeeper is challenging the island's milk monopoly.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11'He's bringing in cheaper milk from England,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14'and it's leaving a sour taste in people's mouths.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18'Later, I'll be finding out what impact this could have on the island's best-loved breed.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22'But an even bigger controversy is brewing elsewhere.'
0:07:22 > 0:07:27If you think European law puts the UK and our continental neighbours
0:07:27 > 0:07:30on a level playing field, then maybe you should think again.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35As far as animal welfare is concerned, UK farmers are conforming to strict rules,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39that some European counterparts are simply ignoring.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41John has been to find out why.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52BIG BEN CHIMES 'New Year's Day, 2012.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56'And amongst all those resolutions, came one intended to make life a little better
0:07:56 > 0:07:59'for countless millions of caged hens.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'The European Union finally outlawed conventional battery cages
0:08:02 > 0:08:07'and ushered in bigger, more spacious ones.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09'But is this resolution being kept throughout Europe?
0:08:09 > 0:08:14'The vast majority of British egg producers have obeyed the law, in full and on time.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18'They've spent £400 million on converting their systems
0:08:18 > 0:08:23'and 2.5 million of that came from Duncan Priestner's pocket.'
0:08:23 > 0:08:25They do look to be still crowded.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Yes, they have 50% more space than the old battery cages,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31but because these are in groups of 60 birds,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35like a big colony cage, the hens can move around a lot more.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Do you think they are happier now?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Definitely, the hens do appear a lot happier in here,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45you can hear from the noise in the shed. They lay well in these systems
0:08:45 > 0:08:49and if they weren't happy, then they wouldn't be laying the eggs.
0:08:49 > 0:08:55'But right across Europe, as many as 46 million hens are still in illegal cages.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59'Some countries, like Belgium and Italy still have a third of their birds kept like this,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02'even though they've had 12 years to make the changes.'
0:09:02 > 0:09:08Most of Britain's caged eggs were being produced in enriched systems like this
0:09:08 > 0:09:11long before the deadline of January 1st,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15and our readiness to comply with European welfare regulations
0:09:15 > 0:09:19is something that Prime Minister David Cameron touched on
0:09:19 > 0:09:22when I talked to him on Countryfile a couple of weeks ago.
0:09:22 > 0:09:28Two things have been going wrong. One is, while WE dutifully put in place these new standards,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31some other European countries have been too slow.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35We need to make sure when WE put in changes, THEY put in changes.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38The second thing is there has been a tendency in Britain,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and all governments have done this,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42to jump into putting the changes in advance
0:09:42 > 0:09:45of the actual legal necessity.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48'It's a point echoed by many British farmers who are crying out
0:09:48 > 0:09:50'for a level playing field.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55'Duncan Priestner began switching his 120,000 hens to enriched cages
0:09:55 > 0:09:58'three years ago.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00'After making such a massive investment,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04'he's worried about illegal eggs making their way onto our market.'
0:10:04 > 0:10:06You've got all these enriched cages now,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08but across in mainland Europe,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12there are many egg farms which still have battery cages.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14How's that affecting your business?
0:10:14 > 0:10:16We spend a lot of money on this farm
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and to know that imported eggs could come in this country
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and undermine our market, I think could put our farms at serious risk.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Because battery eggs are cheaper to produce
0:10:25 > 0:10:28so they'll be selling at a cheaper price than yours.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29We will have to match that price
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and that is why it will put our farms in a vulnerable position.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- So do you think now that a ban is needed?- Absolutely.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Our farmers are very angry about this
0:10:38 > 0:10:43and we are looking to the government to put a ban in place to stop
0:10:43 > 0:10:44all these imported eggs
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and egg products coming back into the country.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51But we shouldn't be too quick to pat ourselves on the back.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Britain was left with egg on its face when it emerged
0:10:55 > 0:10:57that up to half a million hens
0:10:57 > 0:11:00were still being kept in illegal cages on January 1st.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04The Government says it's only about 1% of the UK's total flock
0:11:04 > 0:11:08and it's aiming to bring them those producers in line by next month.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11But it won't be easy in the rest of Europe where some countries
0:11:11 > 0:11:12are way off target.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15It's slow, admits the European Commission,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17but things are happening.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20What they say is that they are in the process of implementing it,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23and the Commission is keeping up the pressure to do that,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25both through legal action and other means,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27but no member state has a perfect record
0:11:27 > 0:11:30in terms of implementing EU legislation.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32That includes the UK and others.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36It's also important to point out that even if half the member states
0:11:36 > 0:11:39are not yet fully compliant, 80% of egg producers
0:11:39 > 0:11:41across the European Union are compliant,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43and that's increasing every day.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Some of those non-compliant countries say their farmers
0:11:46 > 0:11:50need more time or simply can't afford to convert.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53These problems aren't confined to egg producers.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57The worry is that something similar is going to happen
0:11:57 > 0:11:58in the pig industry next January,
0:11:58 > 0:12:03when a partial ban on sow stalls is introduced across Europe.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Although British farmers do use individual pens for pigs
0:12:06 > 0:12:08around the time they give birth,
0:12:08 > 0:12:13the smaller sow stalls have been banned in the UK since 1999.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17From the start of next year, they'll be banned in mainland Europe too
0:12:17 > 0:12:20apart from a few weeks during pregnancy.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24With just 12 months to go, many of Europe's leading pig producers,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29such as Germany, Belgium and Spain, are no way ready for the new law.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Stewart Houston is a pig farmer
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and chairman of the National Pig Association,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36and he's showing me round an indoor farm.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42They're kept in a variation on this system, in social groups
0:12:42 > 0:12:46and allowed to interact with each other on a bedded area.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50So they're not constrained like they are in sow stalls. Is this better?
0:12:50 > 0:12:53It takes a lot more managing, but in the end,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57you've got a contented animal with a long and happy life.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Why are so many pig farmers on mainland Europe appear to be
0:13:01 > 0:13:04reluctant to bring in these changes?
0:13:04 > 0:13:05They're frightened, I think.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Partly because of the cost and partly because of an inexperience
0:13:09 > 0:13:12in being able to run a much more complicated system.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16What will the impact be if the situation continues
0:13:16 > 0:13:20and a lot of farmers still have the old sow pens?
0:13:20 > 0:13:24There will be substantial quantities of illegal pigs being sold
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and traded around Europe.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30We're worried that we'll be disadvantaged by this cheaper pork
0:13:30 > 0:13:33that can be produced from the older systems.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36What should shoppers make of this when they're buying pork?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39This is not a food safety issue. This is welfare and ethics.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Do you feel that there should be legal action taken?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45The Commission say they will do that,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48but they haven't really got the power to make this happen
0:13:48 > 0:13:50on the 1st January, 2013.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53They can only take proceedings against member states
0:13:53 > 0:13:59that haven't complied and that can be a process that could take years.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11By now, you may be wondering, what's the point in bringing in bans
0:14:11 > 0:14:15on things like battery cages and sow stalls if they're not going
0:14:15 > 0:14:19to be equally enforced right across the European Union?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Can anything be done to make them truly effective?
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Well, that's what I'll be asking later on.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Guernsey's got more than its fair share of beautiful beaches,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35but there was a time when these golden sands turned black.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40What caused that to happen was the biggest environmental disaster
0:14:40 > 0:14:41out waters had ever seen.
0:14:41 > 0:14:4331 million gallons of crude oil
0:14:43 > 0:14:46spilled right into the English Channel.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51When the super tanker, Torrey Canyon, ran aground off Cornwall
0:14:51 > 0:14:54in 1967, the oil slick it produced
0:14:54 > 0:14:57caused devastation on a massive scale
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and Guernsey was right in the firing line.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04It was 18 days after the boat ran aground
0:15:04 > 0:15:06that oil arrived in Guernsey.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11The smell was acrid. It was quite incredible.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14John Webster was 19 years old at the time.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17The local states works department were tasked with the job
0:15:17 > 0:15:22of spraying all the beaches, all the rocks,
0:15:22 > 0:15:27and they spent hours down here spraying the actual oil itself.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Despite this, thousands of sea birds lost their lives.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33In the end, the Torrey Canyon was bombed.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Napalm was used to burn off the last of the oil.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40That should have been the end of the story.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41But it wasn't.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Nearly 50 years on, the oil is still here.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Rob Rousell is the local government man
0:15:51 > 0:15:53tasked with cleaning up what's left.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- Straightaway, you can see the line of where it's been, can't you?- Yes.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02It's mainly water on the surface, but there's still oil there,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04which we're clearing.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Oh, dear. So how come the oil ended up in the quarry?
0:16:07 > 0:16:13Um, well, when the disaster happened, 19 days after that,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17a big slick hit the coast of Guernsey, on the beaches,
0:16:17 > 0:16:25and we had to deal with it quickly, and the best way of doing that,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27they felt at the time, was to pump it off the beaches
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and bring it in here.
0:16:29 > 0:16:313,000 tonnes, they estimated, was pumped off the beaches.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35It must have been quite a decision to know where to put it,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38on an island as beautiful as Guernsey.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Well, that's why we used the quarry, I guess.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44It was a decision that had to be made very quickly
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and it was something that no-one had ever had to deal with before
0:16:48 > 0:16:51so there was no-one to give us advice on it.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54So the decision was made by the authorities to put it in here.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Rob and his team have tried all sorts to shift the oil.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01In the end, it looks like elbow grease
0:17:01 > 0:17:03and a bucket will save the day.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06But while it remains here, it's still a threat to wildlife.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11These recent pictures show dead birds stuck in its thick surface.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13They were taken by Geoff George
0:17:13 > 0:17:17from Guernsey's own version of the RSPCA, the GSPCA.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Geoff, is the Torrey Canyon still having an impact here?
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Yeah, it is. We're still pulling birds, ducks,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30- seagulls out of there on a weekly basis.- As regularly as that?
0:17:30 > 0:17:31Yes. As regularly as that.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33So now that it's all been pumped away,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36you must think, "Halleluiah, we've got there!"
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Although it's 80% better,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41there's still quite a bit of oil left.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43We're still getting birds out of there.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46I've seen a dead pigeon in there today.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49My main worry is that even if we pump the surface out,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52there'll still be some underneath the surface,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54and eventually it will rise back up again.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57It's not just oil-damaged birds keeping Geoff busy.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Wildlife comes to grief in many other ways.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Someone spotted something on a coast a couple of miles away
0:18:04 > 0:18:07so we're off to investigate.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11It's a porpoise and, as it's not obvious how it died,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Geoff has to take a closer look.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17What an unusual find. What would you do here, now that you've found this?
0:18:17 > 0:18:21We will log where he's been found, try and get some sort of age
0:18:21 > 0:18:23and condition on him.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26A lot of the dolphin groups always want to know what's happened to them
0:18:26 > 0:18:28or where they've washed up.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- There's not a lot of obvious injury, is there?- There isn't, no.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33I mean, a bit swollen, but not too much.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35So maybe he's not been dead that long.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38No, doesn't look like he's been dead very long, a few days.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41So can you take a guess how this one might of died?
0:18:41 > 0:18:45It's pretty impossible to tell how it has died.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47I mean, it's possible it could have been old age, illness.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50It's not thin, but then it's difficult to tell
0:18:50 > 0:18:54because it's already bloated, so it's not likely to be lack of food.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58- We've had two or three washed up in the past week, 10 days.- Oh, really?
0:18:58 > 0:19:02- Yeah. We do get quite a lot here, so it's not that unusual.- Oh, OK.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06It's not all doom and gloom, though.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Back at the GSPCA headquarters,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12there are loads of animals on the mend, like this lot.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18This little fellow's got mange -
0:19:18 > 0:19:20a skin infection caused by parasites,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23and his medicine is not what you'd expect -
0:19:23 > 0:19:25aloe vera.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29- And you spray it right in there, in the middle.- Into its face?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- Yes.- Really?- Yes.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- And they do like it?- Really?!- Yeah.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Is this an alternative therapy or is this mainstream stuff, aloe?
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Um, it's really...
0:19:40 > 0:19:43It says "Veterinary" there. Do you use it a lot?
0:19:43 > 0:19:46- Yeah, we go through quite a lot of this actually.- Gracious.
0:19:46 > 0:19:52But they do love it and they heal very quickly.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00The sanctuary's having to expand to cope with a number of new arrivals.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01Thankfully, though,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05they're seeing fewer birds affected by the oil we saw earlier.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09But until that oil has gone completely, it's still a threat.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11So I'm doing my bit back at the quarry
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and the final chapter in the Torrey Canyon story.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18- All right, there?- Morning.- Morning. Gosh, this looks like a job.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22- What have you got to do? - Dip the pocket in there.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27- What, as deep as it can go?- Yeah. - Oh, look at that!
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- And just haul it out. - Yep, just like that.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34My word. That is gloopy stuff.
0:20:34 > 0:20:40It's like...gloss paint but partially dry. Revolting.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Not what you'd expect to find somewhere beautiful like the ocean.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- Right, can I have a go with the bucket?- Yep.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48It's a momentous occasion, this.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53Getting the last of the oil from the Torrey Canyon out.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57- Oh, my! That's thick, isn't it? - It is.- And heavy!- Yeah.- So heavy.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01I thought it would have that nice sort of petrol smell,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03but it smells quite sewerage-y.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- Yeah.- Oh, look at that!
0:21:08 > 0:21:11You can see so easily the damage that does to any animal.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15When you look at the lightness of a bird in flight...
0:21:15 > 0:21:17There goes a kestrel now.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20It's in such contrast to something like this. The feathers,
0:21:20 > 0:21:25getting it inside their bodies, the damage done is untold.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29So Ian, when you're faced with a quarry full of oil,
0:21:29 > 0:21:30where do you even start?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32It's based on the wind direction.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35As you see, the wind's in a north-west at the moment
0:21:35 > 0:21:37and it's pushing the oil on the surface into this corner
0:21:37 > 0:21:42so we contain it and scoop it out the best we can.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and do what we can when we can.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50- It's not pleasant but...- It's got to be done.- Someone has to do it.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51And you're doing it!
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- And this is the week that it's all going to go?- Yeah, hopefully.
0:21:55 > 0:22:01It's little patches, but by this time next week,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03we should hopefully have it cleared up.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05It's testament to the resilience of the islanders
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and of Guernsey's wildlife,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10that they bounced back from the Torrey Canyon disaster.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13It's great to think that after nearly 50 years,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16they could soon be free of its taint forever.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Earlier, we heard how some European countries have failed to keep up
0:22:22 > 0:22:26with Britain in complying with new rules on animal welfare.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30But is there anything we can actually do? Here's John.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37On January 1st, a new law banning the keeping of hens
0:22:37 > 0:22:42in old-style battery cages came in across Europe, but 15 countries
0:22:42 > 0:22:45are still using them, including the UK, where a tiny proportion remain.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50Our government says it's made full compliance a priority.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54The problem is that many other countries aren't doing the same,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56not for the first time.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59The UK spent years pushing for stricter rules governing
0:22:59 > 0:23:01the transport of live animals,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06but a serious lack of enforcement in parts of Europe remains a problem.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Spain was recently in trouble for breaching welfare laws
0:23:09 > 0:23:11that protect animals at the time of slaughter.
0:23:11 > 0:23:17Meanwhile, Britain has some of the highest welfare standards.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19But it's costing us economically.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22So what can be done to stop illegal products from countries
0:23:22 > 0:23:27that aren't totally complying being imported and sold in the UK?
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Food factories like this have long used eggs from Europe.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36We import up to 18% of the eggs that we consume in Britain.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Tracing where eggs comes from when you're out shopping
0:23:39 > 0:23:41is quite easy because nearly all the shelves
0:23:41 > 0:23:43are filled with British eggs.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47And you can double-check that by looking on the egg itself
0:23:47 > 0:23:51or looking on the back, where it says "British Lion Quality".
0:23:51 > 0:23:53But traceability is much more difficult
0:23:53 > 0:23:57when it comes to dried eggs and liquid eggs which are used
0:23:57 > 0:24:01by the food manufacturing industry to make things like these...
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Every year, this cake factory uses 2,000 tonnes of dried egg
0:24:07 > 0:24:09imported from mainland Europe.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14That's the equivalent of 40 million eggs mixed into 500 million cakes.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16With so much confusion now about which eggs
0:24:16 > 0:24:19are produced in battery cages in Europe,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23how on earth do you make sure you're not buying illegal egg products
0:24:23 > 0:24:24to put in your cakes here?
0:24:24 > 0:24:28It's absolutely impossible and when we started to look at this,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31we realised it would have very significant cost and complexity,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and that's why we decided to go to 100% free-range eggs
0:24:35 > 0:24:38because we feel confident in the providence of those eggs.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41But that will put up the price of your cakes, won't it?
0:24:41 > 0:24:42It will add cost,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46but you have to remember that egg is one constituent ingredient
0:24:46 > 0:24:49within the cake so when you look at the final price of the product,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52it's a minimal increase,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56and we think it's the right thing to do for our customers and consumers.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03This factory has avoided using illegal eggs,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06but that doesn't mean every manufacturer will do the same.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11The British Egg Industry Council has already launched legal proceedings
0:25:11 > 0:25:14against the government for not banning eggs from countries
0:25:14 > 0:25:17that aren't fully complying with the law.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20That's something I put to agricultural minister, Jim Pace.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24What's wrong in bringing in a total ban on the import of egg
0:25:24 > 0:25:29and egg produce from EU countries that are not keeping to the rules?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Well, it would be very good if we could, but two reasons.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Firstly, it is illegal in European law
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and we've had lawyers check that through.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Secondly, it's impossible to enforce because egg products
0:25:41 > 0:25:47and all class B eggs, which are made into liquid and powder in catering,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50are not required to have any traceability on them.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55But isn't it still up to individual countries to impose their own laws
0:25:55 > 0:25:56on these things?
0:25:56 > 0:26:00It's very much up to countries to imply with their obligations
0:26:00 > 0:26:04and the fact some have not yet complied is a disgrace.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09We can't go on with this "I'll sign up to it but not do it" attitude.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13It's not acceptable for the consumer who demands higher welfare
0:26:13 > 0:26:17and it's not acceptable for the animals either.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21This hard line approach was echoed by the Prime Minister
0:26:21 > 0:26:24when I spoke to him recently on Countryfile.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27With other European countries, we ought to take them to court
0:26:27 > 0:26:31if they don't put in place the changes that they've signed up to.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36It's since emerged that Britain wasn't full compliant either.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38On January 1st,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41hundreds of thousands of hens were in illegal cages here.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44But that's a very small number compared with some countries.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48With our Government calling for prosecution,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51will the European Commission take action?
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Firstly, we're using our legal powers to the full.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57The ground is prepared for formal infringement procedures on this
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and that will be pursued very rigorously.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04The second thing that we're doing
0:27:04 > 0:27:07is exerting maximum political pressure on member states
0:27:07 > 0:27:08who have not complied.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11The third thing we're doing is working with the non-compliant
0:27:11 > 0:27:15member states and those who have complied,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19to prevent eggs which have not been produced legally
0:27:19 > 0:27:22from crossing borders and being used in processes.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Just a few days ago, the European Commission began legal action
0:27:26 > 0:27:32for non-compliance against 13 countries, not including the UK.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34That's good news for our farmers.
0:27:34 > 0:27:362012 is a really crucial period for us
0:27:36 > 0:27:40in the run-up to this new legislation in 2013.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42It's an opportunity to get it right
0:27:42 > 0:27:44and the pig industry wants to play its part.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48We're got the most welfare-friendly systems in the world, so hopefully,
0:27:48 > 0:27:53that should leave us in good stead if the rest of Europe convert
0:27:53 > 0:27:56to these new systems so that we have a level playing field to work on.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01To avoid further embarrassment, Britain's egg producers need
0:28:01 > 0:28:06to get rid of those remaining battery cages very quickly.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08But what about the rest of Europe?
0:28:08 > 0:28:11As long as the UK does the right thing,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13many would say, "That's all that matters.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17"It's up to other European countries to regulate themselves."
0:28:17 > 0:28:21But, if they don't, that's bad news for our farmers
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and bad news for animal welfare in general.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Later on Countryfile, how did farmers of yesteryear
0:28:28 > 0:28:30get their livestock to market?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Adam's discovering.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35- Well, they've got a move on, haven't they?!- Yeah, they have!
0:28:35 > 0:28:40- Ellie's in search of a Guernsey delicacy.- Wow, look at that!
0:28:40 > 0:28:43- A juicy one.- A very juicy one, yeah, that will be tasty.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46And if you're heading to the coast,
0:28:46 > 0:28:49stay tuned for the Countryfile weather forecast.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Think of Guernsey and one thing instantly springs to mind -
0:29:02 > 0:29:04these girls.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06As well as its iconic cows,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09the island's horticulture has flourished over the years.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Jules is meeting the green-fingered growers here,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13who have a secret ingredient
0:29:13 > 0:29:16to ensure they get the top of the crops.
0:29:17 > 0:29:23Now, locally, this stuff is known as vraic or seaweed to you and I.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27For centuries, it's been the main fertiliser used throughout Guernsey,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30but in recent times, its use has declined.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32That is, until now.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34A dedicated group of volunteers
0:29:34 > 0:29:38are determined to put this natural resource back to use again.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Harvesting vraic is an ancient tradition
0:29:41 > 0:29:43that's being resurrected by this lot.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46A group of volunteers restoring the kitchen garden
0:29:46 > 0:29:48of a nearby Victorian manor house.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51It's an authentic project in every sense.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54These chaps haven't just dressed up for the cameras!
0:29:54 > 0:29:56I'm meeting the Lord of the manor,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Lord Eric de Saumarez, to find out more.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01- Now, Lord Eric... - Just Eric's good enough.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04I was expecting a bit more ermine and gold and things.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Ah, well, you have to go to Scotland to get ermine at this time of year.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Now, where is this particular pile of vraic heading to?
0:30:13 > 0:30:17This vraic is heading up to Saumarez Park,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19to the kitchen garden.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22It used to be our old family pile
0:30:22 > 0:30:25that we sold to the States of Guernsey in 1936.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27The old kitchen garden fell into vraic ruin
0:30:27 > 0:30:32until the Guernsey Botanical Trust decided to take up the challenge
0:30:32 > 0:30:35of reinstating it and restoring it.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- Whose idea was it to fill it full of vraic?- That was an accident.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42I just happened to be there once and said to Ivan,
0:30:42 > 0:30:44"I'm just going to get some vraic."
0:30:44 > 0:30:46He said, "Could you bring me a trailer-load as well?"
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- So are these guys the gardeners? - Yes.- Can we have a word?
0:30:50 > 0:30:53- Hello, chaps, how are you? - Hello.- Nice to see you.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57Busy shovelling vraic off the beach and dressed very appropriately.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- We are stepping back in time here, aren't we?- Yes.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03- Good clothing, though, it's nice and warm.- Nice Guernsey jumpers.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05- Very pleased to see that.- Ideal.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08- What is it about vraic that makes it so appealing?- It was vital.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11We've got no other natural nutrients over here.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14We've got the lime, no marl, we've got nothing at all.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18All we've got is seaweed and bones. So it was really important.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21Some people actually managed to help their living -
0:31:21 > 0:31:23they made part of their living out of just the vraic
0:31:23 > 0:31:26and the gathering and the selling it on.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30'Vraic collecting was so popular at the turn of the century
0:31:30 > 0:31:34'that the local government limited how much could be collected.'
0:31:34 > 0:31:38- I think he wants to get off home! - I think he does. I think he does.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41This causeway he's going up, he's obviously slipping a bit,
0:31:41 > 0:31:42but you can see how sets have been laid
0:31:42 > 0:31:45to actually help the passage of a horse and cart go up there.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Absolutely. All around the island there are these slipways.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51A lot of people think they were there for fishermen to come down
0:31:51 > 0:31:54on the beaches to launch boats, but they weren't.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57They were done so people could get down and get the vraic.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04Over at Suamarez Park, Ivan and the volunteers
0:32:04 > 0:32:06are using the methods of their ancestors
0:32:06 > 0:32:10to restore the garden back to its Victorian splendour,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14though I can't see those ladies of the manor getting their hands dirty!
0:32:14 > 0:32:16We spread it out, and leave it for quite a few weeks
0:32:16 > 0:32:19to let the rain take away the salt and the sand.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Once it's weathered a bit, then we'll double dig it, make a trench,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27put the vraic in, put the soil back on top and plough on top of that.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31'But just what is it about vraic that ensures a bumper crop?
0:32:31 > 0:32:34'Terry Brokenshire studies plant disease
0:32:34 > 0:32:37'and he regularly checks the garden
0:32:37 > 0:32:41'to make sure everything is nice and healthy.'
0:32:41 > 0:32:42Terry, as a plant pathologist,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45you must be delighted to find this sort of stuff on your doorstep.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Yes, it's a nice natural fertiliser.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51It actually helps to stave off a lot of soil-borne diseases.
0:32:51 > 0:32:52- Does it?- Yeah.
0:32:52 > 0:32:53It's highly nutritious.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57It contains all the micronutrients that plants require,
0:32:57 > 0:32:59it's got hormones in it,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02and hormones actually affect plant growth quite markedly,
0:33:02 > 0:33:07so you'll get thicker stems, more roots, more vigorous plants.
0:33:07 > 0:33:08And it's free, of course.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10All the nutrients you get are basically free.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12A Guernsey man likes free things!
0:33:12 > 0:33:14But it's not just the vraic
0:33:14 > 0:33:18that's played a part in the island's horticultural heritage.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Its mild weather has also had an impact.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Even in January, the camellias are in full bloom
0:33:24 > 0:33:27and the hedgerows are studded with colour.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Everything from early flowering celandine to campanulas
0:33:30 > 0:33:32and wild violets.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Because of the warm climate here on Guernsey,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38it often means that spring arrives here much earlier
0:33:38 > 0:33:39than it does on the mainland.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43For some, that means big business.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Growing produce has long been a way of life here.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Once known for its grape production,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54the island's greenhouses were later used for tomatoes.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03This site was one of Guernsey's biggest tomato growers,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06but now it's home to one of the world's biggest clematis nurseries.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Paul Ingrouille runs the place.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13His staff pick, pot and pack to meet orders from all over the globe.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15The business used to be based on the mainland
0:34:15 > 0:34:19but moved to Guernsey to take advantage of its growing conditions.
0:34:19 > 0:34:20For clematis growing,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23it expands the season out probably about a month at each end.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25We're about a month, maybe five weeks earlier,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27a month, five weeks later,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29so our production year pretty much
0:34:29 > 0:34:31is February through to late November. On top of that,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34and the thing that people overlook a little bit,
0:34:34 > 0:34:35is some crops, like clematis,
0:34:35 > 0:34:40also really don't like too much heat in the peak of the summer.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42With the maritime plant climate of Guernsey,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45we rarely get days that are above 25 degrees.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52This place produces more than three million young clematis plants a year,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55supplying 20% of the world's market.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58And this is where it all happens.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01How many of these do you pack a day?
0:35:01 > 0:35:06- 22,000-24,000 a day.- 22,000?
0:35:06 > 0:35:11- 22,000-24,000.- This is relentless.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14- Oh, I'm falling behind here. - You do very well.
0:35:14 > 0:35:20Well, you're very kind, but I've got an awful lot to pack.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23'With spring arriving here so much earlier,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26'Paul's staff are kept busy all year round.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30'And whether it's the vraic from the shoreline or its mild climate,
0:35:30 > 0:35:35'Guernsey really knows how to make the most of its natural resources.'
0:35:38 > 0:35:40This week, Adam's heading to Wales
0:35:40 > 0:35:43to find out how farmers moved livestock
0:35:43 > 0:35:46around the country before the arrival of motorised transport.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51But first he's got some work to do down on his farm with the dogs.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01My farm is 1,600 acres and I spend most days out in the field,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04so one vehicle I can't live without is my buggy.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11These machines may be small but they're absolutely brilliant
0:36:11 > 0:36:14for getting around in wet weather and across the fields.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18They carry feed, hay bales and the dogs. Here, Pearl.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Go on, then, old girl. Go on, Maud.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25The sheepdogs are just invaluable, they're absolutely fantastic
0:36:25 > 0:36:27at using their instincts to round up the sheep.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30You can get around the animals in a 4x4 like this
0:36:30 > 0:36:33but they're nowhere near as effective as a sheepdog.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38The dogs travel around with me most days
0:36:38 > 0:36:39and they're always eager to work.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42With more than 1,000 sheep on the farm,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44I need their help out in the fields.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55These sheep are due to go to market.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58I've set some pens up in the corner of the field with a trailer
0:36:58 > 0:37:01so all I've got to do now is get them into the pen and load them up.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Pearl's moving them along nicely while I assist in comfort.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10ADAM WHISTLES Steady.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12Right, got them. Sit. Sit.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22These ewes have scanned empty, so they're not carrying lambs.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24I'm just going to load them up into the trailer
0:37:24 > 0:37:25and they'll go off to market.
0:37:25 > 0:37:31They'll go for meat and their skins will be used as well.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33These are worth about £70 or £80 apiece.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35They've all got electronic chips,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37which are in these tags in their ears.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40I can read their tag just by scanning it like that.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43I can then upload this information onto my computer
0:37:43 > 0:37:47and I'll know which animals have left the farm.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50It goes on movement records. Great for traceability. Technology's key.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Right, that's them all loaded.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05I'll just get one of the lads on the farm to come and take them to market.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Nowadays we have the luxury of transporting our livestock
0:38:08 > 0:38:10around in a modern day trailers.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16But it hasn't always been that way.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22I'm heading into Wales to find out how people moved livestock about
0:38:22 > 0:38:24before the time of motorised transport.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30For centuries, if you wanted to take your animals to market,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32you'd have to walk them there.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35A network of droving routes snaked through the countryside,
0:38:35 > 0:38:37from Scotland to Cornwall to Wales.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41And it wasn't just sheep - cattle, pigs and even geese were walked
0:38:41 > 0:38:45as meat on the hoof, sometimes for journeys of hundreds of miles.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51'I'm on an ancient droving route
0:38:51 > 0:38:55'which ran from the Vale of Clwyd to Oswestry 35 miles away.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57'I'm just doing a small section of it,
0:38:57 > 0:39:02'finishing in the hamlet of Rhewl, along with local author Idris Evans.'
0:39:04 > 0:39:06So before lorries and trucks and trailers,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10people would have used drovers' routes like this?
0:39:10 > 0:39:12They certainly would. We're actually on one now.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17As you can see, these mountain tracks were created to bring animals
0:39:17 > 0:39:19over from the other valley, walking them to markets.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21It was in the interest of small farmers
0:39:21 > 0:39:24to get their animals to the market
0:39:24 > 0:39:26as quickly as possible and as safely as possible.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31'The droving of livestock goes back well over a thousand years,
0:39:31 > 0:39:35'but the heyday of sheep droving came in the 18th and 19th centuries.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38'Britain's rapidly expanding cities needed feeding
0:39:38 > 0:39:40'and demand for mutton soared.'
0:39:40 > 0:39:44- How many sheep would they have walked across here, then?- Well, it varied.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46You'd have small amounts as we have today.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49But it could be anything from half a dozen up to 4,000.
0:39:49 > 0:39:54When you have got 4,000, it's a major operation,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57so the staff involved had to be professional, of course,
0:39:57 > 0:40:02and the range, from the nose of the first to the tail of the last,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06could be at least half a mile or more. They needed to communicate,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09especially on an open mountain like this. How did they do it?
0:40:09 > 0:40:11We know they used a system of whistling,
0:40:11 > 0:40:13of course, with the fingers,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16which is the only frequency that can travel up to five miles.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22And, of course, that has been adopted by shepherds today.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25On a foggy day like today, it would be easy to lose some sheep.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29We've only got a dozen and they're already getting a bit out of hand.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34I mean, Welsh sheep, what can you do with them? They're so wild.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Full of energy, full of life, but very sweet in the meat.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40'By the middle of the 19th century,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44'tens of thousands of sheep were making the journey
0:40:44 > 0:40:47'from the Welsh mountains to the English markets.'
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Moving such vast amounts of animal,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51it must have been quite a big business.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54It was a very big business. They were handling large amounts of cash.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56Very dangerous operation.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00I mean, security was a major problem, because, as you can see,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02on this sort of terrain, it's wild, it's open,
0:41:02 > 0:41:05it lent itself to highwaymen and to rustlers
0:41:05 > 0:41:08because there was a value in the animals as well.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10So they had to protect themselves,
0:41:10 > 0:41:14and they did, of course, by being armed with pistols.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20'The dangers of carrying money on the open road spurred on
0:41:20 > 0:41:23'the formation of some of Britain's first private banks.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25'The promissory notes, or IOUs,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28'issued to drovers reflected their stock in trade.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30'The Aberystwyth and Tregaron Bank
0:41:30 > 0:41:34'even became known locally as the Bank of the Black Sheep,
0:41:34 > 0:41:37'because of its distinctive currency.'
0:41:37 > 0:41:41- The drovers must have been pretty tough characters.- Certainly were.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45As you can see, on a day like today, they needed not only to be tough
0:41:45 > 0:41:49but they had to be well-dressed, protected against all weathers.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- They've got a bit of a move on now, haven't they?- Certainly have.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01'Many sections of old drovers' routes have now been tarmacked over,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04but there are often telltale signs of their original purpose.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08High banks or hawthorn hedges were used to prevent the drove
0:42:08 > 0:42:11accidentally picking up sheep from farms en route.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17There would have been stopping off points all over the country.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19All over the country.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22I suppose, the daily rate, the speed, they reckoned,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25was about two miles per hour from dawn till dusk.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28So these places would be strategically placed,
0:42:28 > 0:42:29and they would rest up for the night.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32'In a time before mass communication
0:42:32 > 0:42:35'when few ventured far from their homes,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37'drovers performed an important social function
0:42:37 > 0:42:39'as the news bearers of the day.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43'It's thought that the Welsh learned of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo
0:42:43 > 0:42:44'thanks to drovers.'
0:42:47 > 0:42:50There we are, Adam, the end of our journey for today.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53As you can see, we're at the centre of this tiny hamlet
0:42:53 > 0:42:57in front of the inn that has catered for drovers for centuries.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Here we are now, loading these sheep into the compound,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03into this area, for safekeeping overnight.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- It was a hard life for them. - It was a hard life.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08We've only had a little sample today.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10We've made it, but don't forget, these boys,
0:43:10 > 0:43:13some of them were travelling hundreds of miles.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17The main objective was to get the animals safe into a compound
0:43:17 > 0:43:20such as this overnight, ready for the market tomorrow.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23They're safe, we've got the right number of sheep we started with,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25we haven't lost one en route.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27I think we can be pleased with ourselves.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29- What do you reckon?- Absolutely. - Good man.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38The spread of the railways in the 19th century
0:43:38 > 0:43:40signalled the beginning of the end for droving.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42But it wasn't until the arrival
0:43:42 > 0:43:44of the tractor and trailer on farms in the 1930s
0:43:44 > 0:43:46that droving finally disappeared.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Although I've enjoyed my time in the Welsh hills,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53I'm glad when I take my sheep to market,
0:43:53 > 0:43:57I don't need to walk for days to sell them.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01Next week, I will be meeting up with an animal behaviourist,
0:44:01 > 0:44:04who's going to teach me how to think like a sheep.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12I've been looking at one of the island's most famous residents -
0:44:12 > 0:44:17the Guernsey cow. From farmers to the dairy, milkmen to consumer,
0:44:17 > 0:44:20the prized Guernsey milk is vital to the local economy.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24For years, there's been a law on Guernsey that says
0:44:24 > 0:44:29only milk produced by Guernsey cows can be sold on the island.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Well, that is, until now.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34Shopkeeper Nigel has decided to take on
0:44:34 > 0:44:36the island's long-standing milk law
0:44:36 > 0:44:38by importing cheap milk from England.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40- Nigel, how are you doing?- Hi.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44I understand you're the man that is taking on the Guernsey milk law.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46- That's correct.- Where's the proof?
0:44:46 > 0:44:50- It's in the fridge over here. - Let's have a look, then. Oh, yes.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53Good news for English dairy farmers.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55Not so much for Guernsey dairy farmers.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Basically, some customers actually worked out
0:44:58 > 0:45:02the Guernsey milk at £1.05 for one litre
0:45:02 > 0:45:04compared to £1.50 for two litres...
0:45:04 > 0:45:08A large family can save over £300 a year.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10That is a significant saving.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13It could pay their electric bill for two or three months.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16We should pay a premium for the Guernsey product,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18and I haven't got a problem with that,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20but customers want to make a saving.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22'But what if the big supermarkets follow suit
0:45:22 > 0:45:24'and start importing cheaper milk?
0:45:24 > 0:45:28'Guernsey milkmen like John, who has been doing the rounds for 25 years,
0:45:28 > 0:45:32'may well be out of a job.'
0:45:32 > 0:45:35When did you first hear about milk being imported onto the island?
0:45:35 > 0:45:40- That was quite recently, about two to three months ago.- OK.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44- What was your reaction? - Rather angry, to say the least.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47- I won't use strong language but it was rather annoying.- Yeah.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49But the law officers are looking into it
0:45:49 > 0:45:52and we are hoping they're going to come up with the right idea.
0:45:52 > 0:45:58Until a decision is made by the powers that be, John's job is safe.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01But will his customers be tempted by cheaper prices
0:46:01 > 0:46:03and lured away from Guernsey's finest?
0:46:04 > 0:46:08- Hello, is that Stan? - It is Stan, yes.- How are you doing?
0:46:08 > 0:46:10I've got your milk. I'm sorry it's a bit late.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13It's a bit later than usual.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17The milkman is usually round here at about half past seven in the morning.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Well, it's entirely my fault, I'm sorry.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23I was wondering what your thoughts were on milk that's imported.
0:46:23 > 0:46:29- Would you go for the cheaper option? - No. No.- You're loyal to the Guernsey.
0:46:29 > 0:46:35- I am absolutely 100% loyal for the Guernseys.- Good lad. Well, enjoy it.
0:46:35 > 0:46:36- Thank you very much.- Thanks.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40'Well, Stan seems happy to pay a bit more for what he likes.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43'But could cheap milk spell the end for Guernsey's dairy industry,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45'and the breed that bears the island's name?
0:46:45 > 0:46:48'Ray certainly think so.'
0:46:48 > 0:46:51I think it's important that people realise why they're paying
0:46:51 > 0:46:54that little bit extra for Guernsey milk
0:46:54 > 0:46:56as opposed to the English white water.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59It's all about maintaining the environment,
0:46:59 > 0:47:03maintaining the breed and once you lose that, it would be sad
0:47:03 > 0:47:07if the home of the breed actually disappeared.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11The island's milk law dating back to the 1950s is currently under review.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13It is expected there will be a decision
0:47:13 > 0:47:17on whether to maintain the ban on imported milk in the next 12 months.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24In a moment, Ellie will be joining the locals
0:47:24 > 0:47:27to sample another island delicacy that is highly prized.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31First, it's time to deliver the Countryfile forecast
0:47:31 > 0:47:32for the week ahead.
0:49:50 > 0:49:57.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19'It's January, but it feels like April.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22'A cracking spell of good weather has blessed our trip
0:50:22 > 0:50:25'to Guernsey in the Channel Islands.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29'We've been exploring and I'm off to a really special place -
0:50:29 > 0:50:33'a little island just off Guernsey called Lihou. Cut off at high tide,
0:50:33 > 0:50:37'it's where locals come for absolute peace and quiet.'
0:50:39 > 0:50:42But not today. It's going to get pretty busy.
0:50:42 > 0:50:44Just wait till that tide goes out.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50When it does, the folk of Guernsey cross this causeway in droves.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53They'll be hunting for a rare island delicacy,
0:50:53 > 0:50:58hard to find, and very highly prized.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02And I'm not missing out. I'm joining Mark.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05He's been coming down here for years.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08- How are you doing there, Mark? - I'm not too bad.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11- I've got six at the moment. - What is it that we're looking for?
0:51:11 > 0:51:15What is it that gets everybody out in the freezing cold sea?
0:51:15 > 0:51:17The lovely ormer. I'll show you.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21- There you go.- Oooh, look at that. I've never seen one of those before.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25- Gosh, it's whopping, isn't it?- It is. It's not a bad size, that one.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27You do get bigger.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30'The ormer is a member of the abalone family -
0:51:30 > 0:51:32'big shellfish prized for their flesh.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36'Fishing for them here in Guernsey is traditional.
0:51:36 > 0:51:41'50 years ago, nearly half a million ormers were fished annually.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43'But over-fishing and disease saw numbers collapse,
0:51:43 > 0:51:46'leading to an outright ban in the mid-'70s.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48'Today, there are strict rules.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51'You can only fish for ormers between January and April
0:51:51 > 0:51:54'and then only around the times of the full and new moons,
0:51:54 > 0:51:58'just 24 days a year.'
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Is there a limit to the sizes you can get?
0:52:00 > 0:52:04- The minimum size is 80 mil.- That's the outside shell, is it?- Yeah.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07- As long as that fits, which that does...- It sure does.- Easily.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11- OK, you can take that one.- Show me the technique. How do you do it?- OK.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13You've got to look for rocks with the weed on top
0:52:13 > 0:52:15that haven't been turned yet.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18You can tell if a rock has been turned, it's normally white.
0:52:18 > 0:52:19We just turn a few rocks
0:52:19 > 0:52:22and we see if there's anything underneath.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25- Do you have to lift it right out to sea?- Not always, no.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27- It's lovely clear water today. - It is clear.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30You rely on that, almost, to see what's going on underneath.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33This one's been turned but you can get your hand in.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35You're feeling all sorts of things.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39- You must have to be used to it to know what you're feeling for.- Yeah.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42- You get to know the feeling. - It's a bit unnerving.- It can be!
0:52:42 > 0:52:43Rabbiting around.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47'These rocks are sharp so gloves are an absolute must.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49'Ormers like to hide away
0:52:49 > 0:52:52'and there's a real knack to finding them.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56'Lucky for me, I've got Mark to show me how.'
0:52:58 > 0:53:01There we are, look, we've got one. That's too small.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03- You can even see without measuring it.- Yeah.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06- Do you ever get tempted to just take them anyway?- No.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08- Is everyone quite good about the rules?- Most people are.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11Occasionally you get people that will take under size
0:53:11 > 0:53:14but there's a hefty fine if you get caught.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16- And it's in everyone's interest... - Exactly.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20- In a few years, that'll be nice and big and juicy.- Remember that one.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22- Exactly.- It's a bit like turning the cards over,
0:53:22 > 0:53:25- remembering where they were. - Put it back carefully.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27'Not everyone is so conscientious.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30'These rocks have been left the wrong way up.
0:53:30 > 0:53:35'Leaving them like this kills off the ormers' preferred food - algae.'
0:53:35 > 0:53:38By turning the rock over, what you're actually doing
0:53:38 > 0:53:41is killing some of those algaes in as little as 24 hours.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43The others that you don't kill will die
0:53:43 > 0:53:46over a prolonged period of time - exposure. Not only that,
0:53:46 > 0:53:48if we look at this rock,
0:53:48 > 0:53:52you've got these different encrusted seaweeds and sponges, and algae.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55- Look at these beautiful patterns here.- Oh, yeah, wow.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57But that all should be that way up.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00That looks much more normal that way. The colouring looks...
0:54:00 > 0:54:03You've got limpets here, you've got your top shells,
0:54:03 > 0:54:06all the other creatures that like to live on the top side.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09Seaweeds, they're going to die if they're the wrong way up.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11It's easy, actually, for someone to come back through
0:54:11 > 0:54:13- and flip them back again. - No problem at all.
0:54:13 > 0:54:17We're running out of time because the tide is on its way back
0:54:17 > 0:54:20so one last-ditch attempt to catch my tea.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26What about great big rocks like that one there?
0:54:26 > 0:54:30- Yeah, that's not too bad a rock.- You need two hands there. I can do it.
0:54:30 > 0:54:36- You can do it.- Just. - Ah, unbelievable. There we go.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38Look at that. You can use your hook.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42That will be stuck firmly to the rock so you can use your hook now.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44- OK, yeah.- Put that in, just underneath it.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47- You try not to damage it? - Try not to damage it.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49- Get it in, that's it. Off it comes.- Quite easily.
0:54:49 > 0:54:54- There we are.- Easy! Wow, look at that. A juicy one.- A very juicy one.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58- That's going to be tasty. - We should eat it tonight.- Yes.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03With the tide racing back in
0:55:03 > 0:55:05and the sun sinking down in the west,
0:55:05 > 0:55:10it's time to head inland to the home of top island chef, Tony Leck,
0:55:10 > 0:55:13a man who knows exactly what to do with ormers.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15'Smack them with a hammer.'
0:55:15 > 0:55:18- Not too hard, we don't want to break the whole...- Oh, I see, OK.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Trying to keep the shape.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23'They've already been cleaned and scooped out of their shells,
0:55:23 > 0:55:28'this bit is just about softening up the flesh before cooking.'
0:55:30 > 0:55:31- Is that good? Or more?- Perfect.
0:55:31 > 0:55:37'Next, it's into some melted butter, from Guernsey cows, of course.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41'Flour either side, then into a sizzling hot pan.'
0:55:43 > 0:55:46These must be something incredibly special
0:55:46 > 0:55:50because there's so much effort that goes into harvesting them
0:55:50 > 0:55:53- and people spend a whole day, get maybe only six...- Yeah.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57- It's quite a community effort as well.- Yeah.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00I know lots of guys that do it and gather them
0:56:00 > 0:56:02for their own family and for the older generation,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05the ones that can't perhaps go out and gather them themselves.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08So it's not necessarily they taste amazing,
0:56:08 > 0:56:11- it's also about the culture and tradition of doing it.- Yeah.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15And, of course, using what's available around you.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21'A couple of minutes in the pan, but three hours in the casserole dish.
0:56:21 > 0:56:26'Luckily for us, Tony has already got one on the go.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29'A portion like this at Tony's restaurant
0:56:29 > 0:56:32'will set you back 17 quid - not exactly cheap.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34'Let's find out if it's worth it.'
0:56:34 > 0:56:37Here we go. Here's a little...
0:56:37 > 0:56:39Goodness, look at that texture.
0:56:46 > 0:56:47Mmm.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- The texture is not flaky at all. - No, no.- It's meaty,
0:56:55 > 0:57:00- not shellfish-like. Shellfish and I don't have a good relationship.- OK.
0:57:00 > 0:57:05But the meatiness of that is very palatable. Lovely.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09Great flavour, too. That's all we've got time for from Guernsey.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12Next week, we'll be in the Blackdown Hills,
0:57:12 > 0:57:14where I'll talking to entrepreneurs
0:57:14 > 0:57:16trying to breathe new life into the wool trade
0:57:16 > 0:57:20and Matt will be on the hunt for the elusive brown hairstreak butterfly.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23Hope you can join us then. Right, dig in.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:44 > 0:57:47E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk