Import Restrictions Vital to Suppress Spread of Bluetongue – Mick Bates AM (Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen Liberal Democrats)

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Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen Liberal Democrats <Brian.Thomas@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk>

Import Restrictions Vital to Suppress Spread of Bluetongue – Mick Bates AM

September 18, 2008 12:00 AM
Originally published by Welsh Liberal Democrats

As tests are carried out on cattle imported from the Limgoes area of France, which have lead to the outbreak of Bluetongue in North Wales, Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates is urging farmers to vaccinate their cattle now and calls for a restriction on livestock imports to protect Welsh cattle from this disease.

Mick comments: "So far all incidents of Bluetongue have been associated with the importation of animals. The problem is that imports are perfectly legal, but with the standard of cattle that we produce in Wales we do not need to rely on imported livestock.

"If we are to suppress this disease then it is vital that we have a temporary ban on all imports of animals from the EU into the British Isles, to reduce the risk of our herd and flocks becoming infected.

"In the meantime I urge all farmers to vaccinate their animals. Of the five million available doses of the vaccine just 600,000 have been used, which means that there is a lot of unprotected livestock."

In Scotland the compulsory vaccination programme includes a commitment by the Scottish Government to pay half the manufacturing costs of the vaccine (approximately £2.5 million).

"I urge the Minister Elin Jones to look to the Scottish plan and seriously examine methods and incentives to encourage farmers in Wales to vaccinate their cattle" adds Mick. "The current voluntary system is not working and as the midges which spread this disease are most active in the late summer and autumn, farmers livelihoods may be at risk it they don't take preventative action now."