Regulations slightly relaxed as livestock now allowed to move for slaughter
Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service has announced that animals are now allowed to be transported to approved abattoirs for slaughter.
The move is the first sign that stringent regulations governing the movement of animals, introduced to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease, are now starting to be relaxed.
Animals can be transported to abattoirs on an approved list. All four of Warwickshire’s abattoirs have been approved or are in the process of being approved. The Trading Standards office holds an up to date list of which abattoirs are licensed and farmers can ring to check which ones are approved.
Farm to farm movement of cloven-hoofed animals is still prohibited, preventing farmers selling live animals to each other or sending animals to another farm for grazing purposes.
Warwickshire Trading Standards Services will also be working with Warwickshire Police to carry out enforcement checks with officers from both organisations patrolling roads for vehicles that are transporting animals without proper documentation and permission. Heavy fines will be imposed on anyone found to be transporting animals for any purpose other than slaughter.
Trading Standards are also working with farmers, offering advice on biosecurity, the process by which footwear and vehicles leaving farms are made safe, to ensure the prevention of the spread of any disease. Guidance on this can be found at the DEFRA website at http://www.defra.gov.uk
Any farmers looking for advice from the county council should call the Animal Health licensing team on 01926 736470, 736471, 736472 or 736475 during normal office hours. At weekends if they ring the general enquiry number for Trading Standards on 01926 414040 they will be provided with a duty officer contact number. Officers will ask farmers for email addresses in order to establish a database of addresses to facilitate the prompt dissemination of information in future.
Members of the public looking for information or wishing to pass on any helpful information should call 01926 414040.
Mark Ryder, head of Warwickshire Trading Standards Service said: “We all need to continue to play our part to ensure that the disease does not spread. We are moving forwards positively and are looking for continued diligence and vigilance from both the farming community and the general public if we are to successfully prevent the spread of this disease.”