Colonial Percy Island goats living off the coast of Mackay hold unique heritage-status, DNA test confirms

In 1874, Commander Bedwell of the schooner Pearl left 12 goats on Middle Percy Island to provide meat, milk and skins for potential shipwreck survivors.

In 2011, the leasehold formally changed from the Lands Act to the Nature Conservation Act - meaning that the National Parks decided they could best manage the island.

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This meant that the existing land managers were no longer able to manage the introduced goats on the island and the rangers were to eradicate the goats as they were now deemed feral.

Now, a conservation effort is underway, by a group of mainland goat breeders, who want to preserve the heritage goat breed, known as Colonial Percy Island goats.

In 2019, a group of the breed's advocates sent DNA tests from the goats to The Netherlands for analysis, to confirm the breed's unique heritage.

After an 18 month-long wait for the results, the tests proved that the island goats have adapted to their environment and have developed their own genetic and phenotypic identity.

Mackay-region goat breeders Diana Barfield and Louise Drew have brought 30 goats from the island back to the mainland by boat to farm using correct protocol.

Ms Barfield is now calling on the Department of Environment and Science to protect them.

"We're trying to raise awareness and hoping that some people might be willing to take a few of them to save the genetics," she said.

"Even though we've had dairy goats for a long time, it's still been a real challenge to learn how to deal with them."

Ms Barfield said they have taken the DNA data to the Dairy Goat Society of Australia, so the Colonial Percy Island Goats could become a breed unto themselves.

"If we can have them recognised by the largest goat society in Australia then we might have a chance at forcing the government's hand at protecting them."

A spokesperson from the Department of Environment and Science has stood firm on it's decision to cull the goats on the national park estate.

"Goats, regardless of the breed, are not native to Australia and in Queensland are declared restricted invasive animals under the Biosecurity Act 2014," the department spokesperson said.

"The listing of the Percy Island goats as a heritage breed does not change this status with respect to their presence on the national park estate.

"Goats cause significant damage to island ecosystems, sensitive habitats and cultural heritage sites."

The department also noted that in recent years, goats have been successfully removed from numerous Great Barrier Reef islands resulting in significant improvement of the health and condition of native species and vegetation.