Action 11
"The Executive will press forward with this through:
- building on the consultations on proposed movement restrictions, in discussion with other UK Agriculture Departments, to develop a framework for livestock movements in Scotland which substantially reduces the risk of disease while meeting the major practical concerns which have been expressed;
- developing with other UK Agriculture Departments and the industry a system which will ensure full traceability of sheep;
- negotiating with other UK Agriculture Departments to speed up the eradication of scrapie from sheep."
Progress
Animal health and welfare
High standards of animal health and welfare are essential to a sustainable livestock industry. Reflecting this, and the importance of coordination across the single epidemiological unit of Great Britain, SEERAD has worked with the other GB Agriculture Departments to produce an Animal Health and Welfare Strategy. The strategy was published in June 2004 after extensive stakeholder consultation and sets out the roles and responsibilities for stakeholders, in particular animal keepers and government, and the principles which will govern the management and delivery of animal health and welfare policy. The Strategy places an emphasis on a proactive approach to improving animal health and welfare.
The Strategy is set at GB level but implementation is specific to each country. In Scotland, we are building on an implementation plan (published December 2003) and a successful Animal Health and Welfare Conference (October 2004) to produce a new programme of work which will set out a challenge to industry through the identification of ambitious targets for Scotland. These targets will be set by an Advisory Group comprising eminent individuals from the farming industry, the veterinary profession, the welfare sector and the scientific community.
Animal movement restrictions
The movement restrictions which require cattle, pigs, sheep and goats to remain on a farm for 13 days after the introduction of another animal are now firmly established and operate as normal livestock farming practice. This gives animal keepers the opportunity of detecting disease before any further move takes place. These movement restrictions were last reviewed in Spring 2004 and it was clear that the livestock industry had adapted to the requirements of this standstill period and was operating successfully. The option for livestock farmers to arrange separation facilities allow greater flexibility for livestock movements, and the exemption for certain classes of animals from the 13 day standstill period where the risk of disease spread is low, have meant that the livestock industry is able to operate without undue difficulty and, at the same time, the risk of disease spread is significantly reduced.
Sheep traceability
Scotland already has an effective batch traceability system which is working well and which, in the event of an infectious disease outbreak, would provide a high degree of traceability for batches of sheep, although not at individual level. We are working with other UK Agriculture Departments to bring uniformity to the UK systems developed post-FMD ahead of the new EU legislation in 2005.
EC Regulation 21/2004 comes into force in July 2005 and the current Scottish system will require only minimal change provided the proposed UK system is approved by EU auditors. Part of this Regulation requires the use of Electronic Identification (EID) from January 2008, subject to Council approval of an implementing regulation prior to 2008. SEERAD has underway a joint industry project looking at the practical use of EID in sheep and cattle and this will help inform discussions with the EU on implementation.
Scrapie
The National Scrapie Plan (NSP), developed jointly by SEERAD and the other GB Agriculture Departments, was launched in July 2001. The aim of the NSP is to eradicate scrapie (and other Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), including BSE if present) from Great Britain by breeding up genetic resistance in the national flock and tackling the disease in affected flocks. The NSP is currently a voluntary initiative which, in achieving its objectives, also aims to protect the biodiversity of sheep breeds and the economic viability of sheep farmers.
A number of schemes currently operate under the NSP - the Ram Genotyping Scheme, the Voluntary Scrapie Flock Scheme and the Semen Archive. The introduction of the EU Flock Registration Scheme is scheduled for early 2005.
The NSP is currently undergoing a strategic review, in particular, to take account of the requirement under Commission Decision 2003/100/EC to introduce a compulsory breeding programme for flocks of high genetic merit by 1 April 2005 and also the overarching Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for GB launched in June 2004.
SEERAD continues to work closely with industry stakeholders to increase the uptake of all the NSP schemes among breeders and to increase the level of resistance in the national flock.
Links
- Animal Health and Welfare Strategy:-
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Agriculture/animal-welfare/AHWStrategy/Introduction
- Information on schemes operating under the NSP:-
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Agriculture/animal-welfare/Diseases/SpecificDisease/Scrapie/Eradication, then follow the link to the NSP website
Primary Action complete although work is ongoing in all three areas.
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