Scottish Government Animal Health & Welfare Stakeholder Meeting
Monday 14th September 2009.
Scottish Government officials have met with livestock industry stakeholders to discuss developments in a range of animal health policy areas including Scotland's Officially Tuberculosis Free ( OTF) status; blue tongue and sheep scab.
Simon Hall Chief Veterinary Officer ( CVO) for Scotland outlined the principles underpinning risk management and the development of movement controls that will be required to maintain Scotland's recently achieved Officially Tuberculosis Free status. He stressed that Scottish Government will continue to work with stakeholders to minimise any impacts and ensure benefits are realised across all sectors.
The industry welcomed the achievement of OTF status and the work which was going into ensuring that the arrangements for cross border movements would be proportionate. Although there was general agreement to the principles and approach outlined it was also agreed that further discussion would be required to address remaining areas of concern.
The meeting received an update on the current audit of the bluetongue compulsory vaccination campaign. A bluetongue survey will be carried out in November and information from this along with other information on the disease situation will inform the decision on whether compulsory vaccination against BTV8 will be required in 2010. Scottish Government Officials will meet with stakeholders to share and discuss the information before the Cabinet Secretary is asked to decide about next year's campaign.
The Group briefly discussed the implications of a BTV1 incursion into England or Wales. Defra have indicated that should this happen, their intention would be to put a Protection Zone across the whole of England. It was agreed that, should BTV1 be found elsewhere in Britain, an urgent meeting would be convened with the Group to discuss the options for Scotland.
Simon Hall provided an overview of the current situation on Sheep Scab. It was clear from stakeholder reaction that there is still a need to address this problem. It was decided that the Sheep Scab Working Group will be reconvened in the next few weeks so that Scottish Government and industry can work together to agree what action is required to make progress.
A request for a stakeholder group to be set up to look at European rules on transport of animals was accepted and will be taken forward by Scottish Government Officials
There was also a stakeholder request for positive action to be taken to look at TSE controls with a view to reducing the costs to industry.
It was noted that a cross national exercise will be run in Britain in 2010 to test arrangements for disease outbreak preparedness.