Scotland extends bluetongue restricted zone to entire country

The Scottish Government is extending the bluetongue restricted zone to encompass the entire country starting Saturday, October 3. Previously, the zone was limited to parts of south-west Scotland. This expansion aims to simplify trading by removing the need for movement licences for susceptible livestock, such as cattle and sheep, as the entire nation will now share the same disease status.

Bluetongue, which is spread by Culicoides midges, has been detected on 40 premises in the south-west, with additional cases found outside the initial zone. While the expansion eases administrative burdens for the autumn sales period, certain controls remain: animals showing symptoms cannot be moved, and livestock infected after October 3 must remain on their premises for 60 days. Movement restrictions to Northern Ireland also continue.

In the Scottish Parliament, MSP Finlay Carson called for government-funded national awareness campaigns and vaccine procurement underwriting to support veterinary practices. However, Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie rejected calls for a funded campaign, stating that the farming community is already aware of the risks and that farmers have a responsibility to protect their own livestock by ordering vaccines.