September 17, 2007

 

FMD restrictions wane in Scotland, Wales

 

 

Restrictions on the movement of animals in Wales and Scotland imposed after the latest foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey have been eased, the BBC reports on its Web site Friday (September 14).

 

Farmers in England are hoping for a similar easing of the movement ban outside the current restricted zones.

 

A Great Britain-wide movement ban was put in place when cattle on land in Egham were found to be infected on Wednesday.

 

Tests showed the outbreak involved the same strain of the disease that infected herds last month.

 

The administrations in Wales and Scotland have lifted the movement restrictions to allow farmers to take livestock direct to slaughter.

 

Animals can still not be traded or moved for any other reason.

 

Zones are imposed around a number of sites in Surrey after new foot and mouth outbreak

 

The Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said the decision was a "proportionate" response.

 

Farmers say the lifting of the total ban will ease the backlog of animals already sold and will particularly help pig farmers who supply animals under long-term contracts.

 

BBC said the move could also help to avert any possible meat shortages in the shops.

 

The UK government's chief vet, Debby Reynolds, has said she would look at easing movement restrictions on a regional basis in areas of low risk.

 

Farmers have said the latest outbreak was "much worse" than last month's, because it had come at a time when livestock farmers needed to move their animals, and send them to market.

 

Cattle have been culled at the infected farm. A second "precautionary" cull of animals on a second farm is taking place.

 

The infected cattle in the latest outbreak were on a farm 10 miles from the Pirbright research site, blamed as the source for the foot-and-mouth outbreaks at two farms last month.

 

The disease was confirmed in Egham only a week after the previous restrictions on cattle movements were lifted.

 

The government is facing criticism that it was too quick to declare Britain foot-and-mouth free last week.

 

It has denied that Reynolds was pressurized into giving the all-clear too early after the last outbreak.