Bluetongue restrictions are set to be expanded across the entirety of Scotland starting this Saturday. Parts of south-west Scotland were already under a restricted zone following the emergence of cases in August.
The Scottish government has indicated that this decision aims to make trading more straightforward for farmers, hauliers, and auction markets. The expansion means that movement licences, previously required for susceptible livestock moving into, within, and out of the south-west zone, will no longer be necessary after Saturday, as all of Scotland will share the same disease status.
Bluetongue is a viral disease transmitted by insects, affecting animals such as sheep and cattle. It does not pose a risk to people or food safety, but it can cause a high death rate in infected sheep and fertility issues in infected cattle. The first case in Scotland was reported in early August on a farm in Dumfries and Galloway.
Jim Fairlie, the Scottish government's minister for agriculture, marine and the islands, stated that bluetongue is "not going away any time soon" and called the expanded restricted zone a "practical, sensible step." He also noted that vaccination remains the most effective way for farmers to protect their animals.