Bluetongue Restricted Zone extended to cover all of Scotland

The Bluetongue Restricted Zone currently covering parts of south-west Scotland will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland from Saturday 3 October, following agreement with industry.

The change means the movement licences currently required to move susceptible livestock, such as cattle, sheep and other ruminants, into, within and out of the South West Scotland zone will no longer be necessary, as the whole of Scotland will share the same disease status. This is expected to make trading considerably more straightforward for farmers, hauliers and auction markets ahead of the busy autumn trading period.

The decision follows agreement with key industry representatives, including the National Farmers’ Union Scotland, National Sheep Association, Scottish Beef Association, the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers Scotland and Quality Meat Scotland, that extending the zone was now the right approach. Some bluetongue-related conditions will remain in place, such as the requirement that animals should not be moved when displaying clinical signs of the disease.

A joint Scottish Government and industry communications group is also being established to promote vaccination and to share advice on the impacts of the disease with farmers and veterinary practitioners.

Since the South West Scotland Restricted Zone was established, the disease has been detected on 40 premises. Four of these cases were detected outside of the zone by tracing animal movements from affected farms. All affected farms are under movement restrictions and cooler temperatures mean that there is lower opportunity for onward disease transmission.

Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie said:

"Extending the Restricted Zone to cover the whole of Scotland is a practical, sensible step that reflects the reality of the situation we now face. It recognises that bluetongue is not going away any time soon, while removing an administrative burden on farmers at what is a critical time in the trading calendar.

"This decision has been agreed with industry, who saw no reason to delay, allowing businesses time to plan accordingly. I want to thank them for their continued constructive engagement as we've worked through our response to what I know has been a very difficult time for farmers.

"While extending the zone removes the need for movement licences, it does not change our long-term approach to tackling this disease. Vaccination remains the single most effective way for farmers to protect their animals from the worst effects of bluetongue, and I would strongly encourage anyone with susceptible livestock to speak to their vet now to discuss the right vaccination approach and to secure supplies ahead of next year's higher-risk season."

Michael Priestley, Policy Manager, National Sheep Association said:

“The National Sheep Association supports the decision to simplify trading rules at this time of the year as risk of transmission decreases in autumn as the Culicoides midge activity falls as temperatures fall. 

“Farmers should be aware that there is a trade-off between the benefit of eased restrictions and a reduced bureaucratic burden that brings an increased risk of the virus spreading. This trade-off is being made because of the faith in the vaccine technology, which to date has offered excellent coverage to livestock in affected areas of the UK.”

Neil Shand, Chief Executive, Scottish Beef Association said:

"The Scottish Beef Association think that this is the most logical way forward to prevent trade complications, the overall message on bluetongue remains the same, and that is the only way to protect your cattle fully is to vaccinate."

Background

Bluetongue is a virus spread by insects, mainly Culicoides midges. It is a disease of ruminant livestock and does not affect humans or food safety. It is notifiable and any suspicion of disease must be reported immediately to the local Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) office.

In compliance with the Bluetongue (Scotland) Order 2012, a Restricted Zone was declared in parts of south-west Scotland on 10 September, following confirmation of active circulation of the virus. From 3 October, this zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland, meaning the same disease status will apply across the country and to the rest of Great Britain. Restrictions on movements to Northern Ireland will remain in place. Movement licences previously required for susceptible livestock leaving the South West Scotland zone will be removed.

A person must not move an animal that is showing clinical signs of bluetongue on the day of movement. Animals affected with bluetongue from 3 October will continue to be restricted to their premises for 60 days but other susceptible animals will be unrestricted unless they are showing clinical signs of the disease. Freezing germinal products requires donors to be tested for bluetongue. Fresh germinal products can be used as normal.

Keepers with bluetongue-vaccinated cattle, sheep and goats are asked to record this on ScotEID, with other ruminants recorded through the gov.uk online portal. Changes will be made to the ScotEID online reporting tool to allow for the batch recording of vaccinated sheep.

The joint Scottish Government and industry communications group is expected to include organisations such as the National Farmers’ Union Scotland, National Sheep Association, Scottish Beef Association, British Veterinary Association and the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers, with membership confirmed in due course.

Further information on bluetongue, including a map of the affected area, case numbers and biosecurity guidance, is available at www.gov.scot/bluetongue.