Welsh rebel against cull sites


29 March 2001



Welsh rebel against cull sites

By Robert Davies, Wales correspondent

WELSH villagers are rising up in protest at plans to dispose of livestock slaughtered in foot-and-mouth culls in areas which have escaped infection.

Residents of the tiny village of Bodffordd are delaying the cull of 40,000 sheep on the island of Anglesey.

They are concerned about the public health risks from burning carcasses and combustible materials at Mona airfield, less than one mile from their houses.

And it is feared that protests could spread to Powys, where resistance is growing against plans to bury culled stock at military ranges near Sennybridge.

Since Wednesday (28 March) evening Bodffordd villagers have prevented lorries carrying animals slaughtered at Gaerwen abattoir from entering the site.

However, it is believed that they have allowed in wagons loaded with coal and timber.

At a public meeting on Thursday (29 March) morning, residents told local MP and assembly member Ieuan Wyn Jones that they would not back down.

Villagers vowed to continue picketing in shifts until an alternative site was found, and will seek a High Court injunction on Tuesday (3 April) to halt the incineration.

Many farmers are backing the protest as the site is in a clean area, and because they would like to see the remains buried rather than burned.

But the Environment Agency claims that the soil is too thin and the airfield is too close to a reservoir.

In another development, troops have moved to the Montgomery area to begin assisting with the cull animals on farms neighbouring outbreaks in Powys.

However, in this case it is plans to bury carcasses on military ranges near Sennybridge in south Powys that are being resisted by villagers.

Again the site is in a clean area, and farmers oppose the idea of transporting over 40,000 animals from 80 farms for distances of up to 80 miles.

Meanwhile, three new cases of foot-and-mouth have been reported in the Netherlands, raising the number of infected farms there to 10.

One case was confirmed more than 21 miles south-east of the other cases, raising fears that a vaccination firebreak policy has failed to contain the disease.


Foot-and-mouth – confirmed outbreaks

Foot-and-mouth – FWi coverage

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