Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
In partnership with the livestock and veterinary sectors, Welsh Government has been successful in keeping Bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) out of Wales this year. We have been monitoring the situation closely and using a risk-based approach to adapt our policy. I am very proud of our achievement to date, but recognise we will face different circumstances from the 1st of July, when an England-wide Bluetongue Restricted Zone (RZ) comes into being.
The current RZ approach in England has helped keep Bluetongue away from the Welsh Border. I am grateful to the livestock sector in England, the Pirbright Institute and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for their outstanding efforts and cooperation in this matter. I regret the current RZ cannot be maintained but understand the reasons behind its expansion to the whole of England.
In practical terms, it means we will lose the security of having a two-county buffer between potentially infected livestock in England and the Welsh border. This change increases the risk of disease incursion into Wales, either through the movement of infected livestock, or the ingress of virus carrying midges from across the border.
Responding to the expansion of the RZ to the whole of England is therefore a major decision - with implications for the livestock sectors and animal health and welfare across Wales. I appreciate there are differing views about the future approach to Bluetongue control in Wales. To ensure I was aware of all the details, and to help make a balanced and informed decision, I held a Bluetongue roundtable meeting with senior representatives of the livestock and veterinary sectors on 5 June. I listened to their views and considered them carefully before deciding on a proportionate policy for future Bluetongue control in Wales.
It does not seem feasible or realistic that we can keep the disease out forever, which would involve prohibiting all livestock movements to live from the RZ in England. From consideration of the evidence and listening to industry representations, I believe that option would be too demanding, as well as being unsustainable in the long term.
At the same time, I cannot in all conscience invite Bluetongue into Wales on 1st July through aligning with the RZ in England. I am unwilling to risk the uncertain impact of the disease in livestock dense areas like the Welsh borders. I am also extremely concerned about the economic and farmer wellbeing impacts of dealing with sick animals, and the livestock productivity and fertility losses associated with severe Bluetongue, as observed in many affected European countries.
Given the available evidence and the valuable feedback of the veterinary and livestock sectors, my decision is to attempt to hold back the disease for as long as we can. Although livestock moves to live will be permitted with a negative premovement test, we will have time to monitor the effects of Bluetongue in livestock dense areas of England and crucially, additional time for Welsh keepers to vaccinate their animals against the disease.
Participants in the Bluetongue roundtable meeting were unanimous in their support for vaccination as the best way of insuring flocks and herds against any future incursion of the disease. They also agreed the promotion of Bluetongue vaccination is a shared priority for all parties over the coming weeks.
I realise some sectors of industry will be disappointed and I acknowledge there will be licencing requirements, livestock testing costs and other commercial pressures arising from my decision. I’m also conscious we face a dynamic and evolving disease picture in Great Britain, and we are dealing with a midge-borne disease, which is seasonal in nature.
For these reasons, I commit to keeping this policy under regular review, based on the evidence “on the ground” in Wales, and the other parts of Great Britain. Despite our best efforts, there is a risk Bluetongue will be confirmed in Wales, in which case relevant disease control actions will be required. Whatever the future holds, we will review this policy in the Autumn to see if it is still fit for purpose.
My goal at this stage remains to keep Bluetongue out of Wales for the benefit of our animals and of those who keep them, but I am prepared to adapt to the evolving disease situation.
The latest information on Bluetongue in Wales can be found online at Bluetongue virus (BTV) | GOV.WALES