Restrictions relaxed for Scots islands

7 April 2001



Restrictions relaxed for Scots islands

By Shelley Wright

ANIMALS on islands in the north of Scotland can be moved freely to the mainland after foot-and-mouth restrictions were lifted on Saturday (7 April).

Although Scotland has 132 cases of the disease so far, these are confined to the south of the country with all but three in Dumfries and Galloway.

Ross Finnie, Scotlands rural development minister, said ongoing movement restrictions were vital in the overall strategy to prevent the spread of the disease.

“However, having re-assessed the position and having taken careful account of the views of my veterinary advisers, I have concluded that some relaxation of the restrictions is justified,” he added.

Providing no difficulties emerge, animals which have been away-wintered on the mainland will be allowed to return to the islands after 16 April.

A Scottish Executive spokesman said: “By then it will have been 21 days since the last Longtown market tracing was removed on the mainland.”

Mr Finnie also intends for livestock movement to resume from that date on the Scottish mainland, north of the line marked by the Rivers Forth and Clyde.

This area has been designated provisionally free of foot-and-mouth disease.

Scottish National Farmers Union leader Jim Walker welcomed the relaxation of movement restrictions but added that vigilance was still needed.

“Farmers the length and breadth of Scotland must be on the look out for symptoms of the disease and must be scrupulous in cleansing and disinfecting.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish NFU has given 150,000 to Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the body which promotes red meat north of the border.

The move, said Mr Walker showed that Scotlands farmers would do everything in their power to repair the damage caused by foot-and-mouth.

“Confidence has been dented by the images weve seen in the past few weeks.

We need to fight back and re-establish the image of Scottish meat as the first choice of Scottish consumers and stimulate demand.”

QMS plans to launch a promotional campaign in the coming weeks, the first phase of which will be targeted at re-building consumer confidence.