200,000 sheep to be culled

Healthy sheep are to be slaughtered

Rural Affairs Minister Ross Finnie has announced measures to slaughter 200,000 Scottish sheep as part of a drastic plan to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

The cull will take place on farms within 3km of an infected area and on any livestock with a traceable connection to centres of infection.

The measure is to be implemented after it was found that sheep could act as "reservoirs" for the disease without showing any visible symptoms.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Mr Finnie said the moves were necessary to allow the authorities to get ahead of the disease spread.

Ross Finnie: "Pre-emptive action"

He said that slaughter will affect 500 farms and will see the destruction of 2% of Scotland's sheep flock.

It is likely to be concentrated in the Dumfries and Galloway area, but will include any sheep which have come into contact with livestock bought from Longtown Market, near Carlisle, on 15 or 22 February.

Mr Finnie said: "It has now become apparent that the sheep flock has the potential to act as a reservoir for foot-and-mouth.

"In some cases, sheep can be infected without showing clear symptoms. They are, nevertheless, able to pass it on to other sheep, cattle, or pigs.

'Dreadful news'

"I, together with other agricultural ministers in the UK, on the advice of the chief veterinary officer, must take pre-emptive action to destroy this potential reservoir of infection."

He said the sheep would be destroyed whether or not they were showing signs of the disease.

Jim Walker: Executive had "no choice"

"This new action on sheep will undoubtedly come as dreadful news to the 500 or so farms around the country which are affected, but I hope everyone will agree that it is the right thing to do.

"The owners will receive market level compensation and I am under no illusion over the tragedy being faced by these farmers. Many will see a lifetime's work being destroyed."

Mr Finnie added that movement restrictions, which have been strictly enforced, will be relaxed in the islands and northern Scotland.

Licensed movement on welfare grounds is also to be extended to allow for longer journeys.

Jim Walker, president of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland, said he accepted the government had "no choice".

He said: "It's become clear that if radical action isn't taken now, the number of animals affected will far exceed the figure in 1967, when half a million animals were slaughtered in the six-month period.

"We started off two or three weeks behind this disease and there's no choice now but to take out large numbers of animals to make sure we get control of this disease, especially in the high-risk areas of Dumfriesshire, Cumbria, Devon and mid-Wales.

Risks 'unimaginable'

"With high numbers of stock now involved in a tight area in Dumfriesshire, we have to take a pre-emptive strike, particularly against the sheep flock to make sure the disease is kept in these areas.

"If it gets out of these areas we're looking at a scale of devastation across the UK that is unimaginable.

"We simply can't risk the destruction over a six month period of millions of animals unless we take more severe action right now."

Confirmed disease cases in Scotland

34 cases on 15 March

Lockerbie (7 cases)

Canonbie (8)

Gretna (9)

Lochmaben(2)

Twynholm

Langholm

Beattock

Ruthwell

Tundergarth

Moffat

Dalton

Torthorward

All of the confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth in Scotland have been located in the Dumfries and Galloway region.

On Thursday, the Scottish Executive announced a further five confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth in Dumfries and Galloway, bringing the total to 34.

These were at Belridding farm, near Torthorward, Thorniethwaite farm, near Lochmaben, Fauldie farm and Tarcoon Farm, near Canonbie and West Scales farm, in Gretna.

Meanwhile, doubts have been raised about whether the UK's largest one day lamb sale at Lairg in Sutherland in August will be given the go-ahead in the light of the foot-and-mouth restrictions.

Assistant Chief Veterinary Officer for Scotland, Leslie Gardner, said it was too early to decide whether the restrictions could be eased more quickly in the area north of the Clyde and Forth rivers.

Mr Gardner said a period of reflection would be needed before a definitive ruling could be made on lamb sales in the north.