Call to halt livestock imports as bluetongue threat grows
'ICSA has serious concerns about the continued movement of animals across the border, particularly now that positive bluetongue cases have been confirmed in the North and further cases are under investigation,' president Sean McNamara said.
Processors have been asked to immediately stop importing livestock from Northern Ireland.
Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) president Sean McNamara said meat processors should immediately stop importing livestock from Northern Ireland in light of the increasingly precarious bluetongue situation.
It follows outbreaks of Bluetongue confirmed on three farms in Co Down. A Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) has been put in place for 20km around the site of the outbreaks.
“ICSA has serious concerns about the continued movement of animals across the border, particularly now that positive bluetongue cases have been confirmed in the North and further cases are under investigation,” Mr McNamara said.
Bluetongue does not affect human health and does not pose a food safety risk. It is a non-contagious, insect-borne, viral disease that impacts ruminants such as cattle, sheep, goats, deer, llamas and alpacas.
Highlighting the ease at which the virus can spread through vectors like midges, Mr McNamara said: “Midges spread bluetongue. So, if a processor brings in sheep from the North that are carrying the virus, all it takes is for one midge around Athleague, Camolin, Navan, or wherever a factory is located, to land on an infected sheep. That midge then becomes infected too, and once that happens, it can spread the virus to farms in the surrounding area. That is how quickly this disease can move.”
“Hundreds of thousands of lambs are imported from the North every year purely as a tactic to keep a lid on prices here. But in a situation like this, processors cannot keep operating as if nothing has changed. They need to act responsibly and stop hauling animals down from the North until the full picture is known,” Mr McNamara said.
Both the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment have said they are working closely with each other to contain the outbreak ahead of the high-risk period from April to November, when midges are most active.
“Protecting the country from bluetongue has to come first, and it is time processors did their part.” Mr McNamara called on department officials on both sides of the border to do everything in their power to contain the virus.
