Settle movement ban widens

- 04 June 2001

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4 June 2001

Settle movement ban widens

By FWi staff

MOVEMENT restrictions have been extended in the Settle area as 17 new cases of foot-and-mouth were reported over the weekend.

Eleven outbreaks of the virus were confirmed on Saturday #&151; the worst day since 27 April — and six on Sunday (03 June).

Weekend cases included seven were in Lancashire, and three in North Yorkshire, most along the Ribble Valley between Settle, Skipton and Clitheroe.

MAFF announced that a ban on animal movements in the Settle and Clitheroe area had been extended to Wharfedale, Nidderdale and Otley.

The disease has been in the area since February, reports The Guardian originating from infected sheep movements from Longtown Market in Cumbria.

While the Ministry of Agriculture believed it had traced all movements, it had missed at least one, it reports.

A herd of 100 water buffalo on a farm in Ribblesdale, near Settle are among those to be slaughtered, reports The Independent

There has now been a total of 1697 foot-and-mouth outbreaks in the UK.

According to MAFF figures, 3,189,000 animals have been slaughtered, including 496,000 cattle, 2,568,000 sheep, 123,000 pigs, and 2000 goats.

It says 39,000 animals await slaughter and 17,000 carcasses await disposal.

However, FWi revealed on Friday (01 June) that MAFF may be leaving out 2m animals from its slaughter statistics.

Official figures are artificially low because the government is excluding hundreds of thousands of young livestock from its statistics.

Meanwhile, The Times reports that rural businesses in Cumbria and Devon have yet to receive any compensation under a special government scheme.

A month ago ministers announced 24 million for struggling rural businesses to be distributed by Regional Development Agencies.

Agencies spent a month wrangling over how to allocate money, and another fortnight may pass before local Business Link schemes set up processing.

And a new survey shows foot-and-mouth has dealt a severe knock to Britains tourist industry and the economy is facing a slowdown.

Current trading optimism for the future has fallen significantly, according to the Confederation of British Industrys quarterly survey.

The Guardian, 04 June, 2001, page 7

The Times, 04 June, 2001, page 4

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Foot-and-mouth – confirmed outbreaks
Foot-and-mouth – FWi coverage