Bluetongue Stakeholder Meeting

The Scottish Government is looking at other policies, in addition to the Bluetongue vaccination programme, that may have an impact on the industry.

An update was given on the disease and vaccination progress by Chief Vet Charles Milne. No disease had been reported over the vector free period in the winter. A survey in dairy herds in Scotland all proved negative for Bluetongue, as did sampling across GB.

In France BTV8 vaccination is now compulsory BTV1 has been spreading north. All of France is a protection zone for BTV1 but there is a risk to the UK that affected animals could be on the north coast and midges could cross the channel. There is farmer resistance in France to vaccination. In Belgium there is no evidence of spreading BTV1 and the protection zone status has been lifted.

Spain and Portugal have achieved eradication of BTV4 thus proving that strict surveillance and controls can lead to eradication.

Imports of animals into Scotland have been low. Three cattle came from Sweden in January, 40 from Jersey in February, three Alpacan from New Zealand in March and one bull from France in addition to the two cattle that headed from the Netherlands to the Republic of Ireland through the UK to be turned back at Larne due to certification anomalies. Inter-community trade puts the onus on the exporting country and so the Scottish Government will be asking the Northern Ireland authorities why these cattle were returned to Scotland when they should have gone to the Netherlands.

Vaccination levels in England and Wales are unknown. In Scotland working from cattle and sheep numbers it has been estimated that 8 million doses of vaccine were required in Scotland. As at 13/04/09 5,714,202 doses have been purchased. That this is 71.4% of the total and in reality with the backlog from the western isles still to go through administration the figure could be somewhere between 73 and 74%. Charles felt that the vaccination levels would not get to 100% by the end of April but could be between 80 and 90% meaning that this was a big step forward.

Blue Zones

There is no doubt that Scotland is doing well to keep bluetongue out of the country. It has protection zone status which means animals can be vaccinated and that there can be free movement of animals across Great Britain but it also means that there cannot be a ban on imports.

There is recognition by the EEC that countries without diseases that are vaccinating can be termed blue zones. It is possible for Scotland to be a blue zone.

Blue zone status would require testing 4,500 animals per month. England and Wales would not get blue zone status so this creates a problem predominately with movement of animals north of the border, with significant impact on costs.

A view was expressed that moving animals to slaughter in Scotland from England would be slightly easier than previously when restrictions were in place because more English animals will be vaccinated. Animals not vaccinated would be subject to conditions that had operated in 2008.

Another view was that blue zone status could possibly send out the wrong message, one that it is okay to import. The best approach is the industries current moratorium on imports. The fear is not of introducing BTV8, because current vaccination levels would severely restrict any possible spread of disease, but that BTV1 could come to Scotland (where no vaccination for BTV1 has taken place).

NFUS supports blue zones and see no reason why English suppliers of cattle for slaughter in Scotland should not have their animals vaccinated for BTV8.

Animals intended for slaughter would have to have been vaccinated 60 days prior to movement or the controls such as transporting them to an abattoir in Scotland for processing two hours before dusk. This would be “an administrative nightmare” that would impact on supply and throughput in Scottish abattoirs.

Those attending the meeting felt that farmer certification of vaccination would be sufficient evidence. SAMW warned that the practicality and administration could add colossal costs and anything that limited trade was a bad idea. Brian Pack warned against a “draw bridge mentality” that would not be good for the industry adding that cross-border trade was a natural.

Nigel Miller, NFUS, stated that if Northern England producers new the rules then they would vaccinate accordingly. He felt access to livestock for slaughter would not be a problem.

Charles Milne concluded that such rules could indirectly increase the degree of vaccination in the North of England.

The Scottish Government said that the next steps would be to have a closer look at the economic implications. The timescale for a decision has to be in the next two weeks and industry organisations need to feedback information so that they can assess impact and potential damage to the slaughtering sector in Scotland.

QMS have statistics on cross-border trade that reveal an average of around 200,000 animals are imported north every year.