Defra extends its bluetongue exclusion zone into Yorkshire

Mar 20 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal

NORTH Yorkshire is covered by a bluetongue restriction zone after it was extended following two new confirmed cases, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said yesterday.

A case found in the wider surveillance zone which covers much of England has meant the protection zone has been extended further into Norfolk and Lincolnshire.

In turn, the surveillance zone has been extended further into North and West Yorkshire.

Another case of the disease, which is spread by midges, has been found in Hertfordshire, leading to the expansion of the protection zone around existing infected sites into Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Defra said the latest cases, which were found in cattle, were identified as part of pre-movement testing required to move animals out of the zones during the “vector-free” period.

Defra said the evidence suggested the animals were infected before the vector-free period was declared late last year.

There are now 110 confirmed cases of the disease.

The news comes just six days after strict bluetongue movement restrictions were re-imposed by the government.

As a result farmers within the enlarged zone will now not be able to move any animals out of the zone, except direct to slaughter. Animals can be moved into the zone and within it farmers can move animals as normal between farms, to market and to slaughter.

Movement restrictions had been eased slightly over the winter when evidence showed that the midges responsible for spreading the disease were not active.

Richard Ellison, NFU regional director said: “To discover just six days after restrictions were re-imposed that the surveillance zone has been extended will be a bitter blow to thousands of livestock farmers – especially those who find themselves on the new boundary. The restrictions have the biggest impact on those on the edge of the zone and while this news will ease the pressure on the many farming businesses on the boundary of the previous zone – including York and Otley auction marts – it will mean real difficulties for many others who now find themselves in that situation.”

Spring is a very busy time in the livestock farming calendar, with lambing and calving. This almost certainly involves livestock movements – with most upland sheep farmers bringing their flocks off the moors for lambing.

Once lambs arrive, they would normally be moved back up the hill with their mothers – something that may prove impossible now for many farmers in the Dales.

Mr Ellison said: “The impact of yet more movement restrictions on the livestock sector underlines the importance to implementing an effective, blanket vaccination of all cattle and sheep as soon as a vaccine for bluetongue becomes available, we hope in mid-May.

“Only this week an industry-wide initiative was launched to achieve the required mass vaccination. The Joint Campaign Against Bluetongue, which represents livestock farmers, livestock markets, meat processing, dairy processing, and the veterinary profession, is now embarking on a major campaign to communicate to all livestock farmers the need to vaccinate their animals as soon as vaccine is available.

“Vaccination is the only solution, so the industry needs all farmers with susceptible animals to start making preparations now so that hopefully we can limit the spread and impact of this disease and avoid the terrible losses seen last year by farmers across Europe.”