'Trapped' sheep could face cull

Farmers said 100,000 Romney sheep were trapped on the marsh because it falls on the wrong side of the bluetongue control zone imposed on Sunday.

The Romney sheep are normally moved out of the South East in the autumn before grass on the marsh stops growing.

"The government is working to find a solution," said Kent MP Jonathan Shaw.

"We know farmers are faced with huge pressures but we do have to have strict measures in place to stop the spread of diseases."

"There has either got to be a relaxation of the regulations or else people are going to have to get rid of animals because of the welfare situation"
Trevor Richards, farmer

Bluetongue control area

Mr Shaw, a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said it had to be guided by veterinary and scientific experts.

Romney Marsh farmer Trevor Richards, who produces about 800 lambs a year and has 500 breeding ewes, said: "This is a unique sheep-producing area.

"I don't think the government or Defra realise how unique we are and what an important time September and October is for selling these sheep.

"There has either got to be a relaxation of the regulations or else people are going to have to get rid of animals because of the welfare situation."

Frank Langrish, a senior figure in the National Farmers' Union in the South East, said the problem began because of movement restrictions imposed after the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Surrey.

'Face ruin'

Usually at this time of year, 50,000 sheep would already have gone from the area.

He said farmers could still face ruin despite relaxation of foot-and-mouth restrictions on Monday night.

He welcomed the fact that animals could now be moved from farm to farm as long as they were within the bluetongue control zone.

"But it is not much of a relief," he added.

"Because of the bluetongue regulations there is a line between East and West Sussex and none of these sheep can cross it.

"We lost all the abattoirs in this area in the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak and now we have to carry animals long distances to the west or to Wales."

But a Defra spokesperson said sheep within the bluetongue protection zone could "move anywhere within the 150km area, which extends from Sussex to Lincolnshire".

"There are a number of slaughterhouses within this zone, including in Kent, and animals within the zone can be taken to these for slaughter."

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
National Farmers' Union
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites