FUW CALLS FOR IMPORT BAN FROM BTV1 ZONES

The Farmers' Union of Wales today called for a ban on animal imports from Bluetongue serotype 1 (BTV1) zones after the disease was found in five cattle imported from France on premises near Blackpool.

FUW President Gareth Vaughan said: "In February this year we called for a voluntary import ban in order to minimise the risk of introducing BTV8 and other strains of the disease, and we have already written to the European Commission calling for stricter rules in order to minimise the risk of importing disease. This is precisely the type of incident we were warning about."

The animals, which originated from within a BTV1 and 8 Restricted Zone in south west France, were confirmed as BTV1 positive following post-movement testing on the premises near Blackpool. The incident represents the first case of BTV1 detected in the UK.

The five animals - and one further animal which tested positive for an undetermined BTV serotype - were culled and the premises is now under restrictions whilst epidemiological investigations take place. It is understood the animals conformed to all the legal requirements and had been vaccinated against BTV1 more than 60 days before the movement occurred.

"The fact that the animals tested positive despite complying with the EC legislation underlines the risks of the current system, and the urgent need for the EU to react to our calls for stricter controls," said Mr Vaughan.

"If the EU imposes stricter movement rules then obviously they will apply to our own exports, as we are in a BTV zone. However, that implication is one we must accept as part of the cost of minimising the risks to our own livestock. We are now in a situation where Welsh farmers can vaccinate against BTV8, but that is not the case for BTV1."

In September, Mr Vaughan wrote to European Commissioner for animal health and welfare Androulla Vassiliou, calling for an urgent review of animal movement rules between Bluetongue protection zones. His letter stated that while the current focus remains on vaccinating and protecting against BTV8, the rapid spread of other strains - in particular BTV1 - is also a major cause for concern, given the current supplies of and demand for vaccine against all strains.

It added: "We believe that all movements of animals from high to low risk zones should be banned until sufficient time has passed to allow farmers to have vaccinated against the relevant strains of BTV, and for those vaccines to have taken effect.

"While we recognise that the movement of infected midges represents the major vector for the disease, livestock movements have the potential to introduce the disease into new areas that are hundreds or thousands of miles away from the original source of infection."