Zero Tolerance on Farmers Who Disobey TB Restrictions
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service is warning farmers to adhere to any movement restrictions placed on their livestock or face prosecution. Trading Standards Animal Health Officers are particularly concerned about the potential spread of bovine Tuberculosis (TB) if farmers do not comply. Warwickshire is now being affected by more outbreaks of confirmed TB cases.
A recent prosecution against a farmer for ignoring movement restrictions resulted in a £500 fine. Mr Thomas Goodman of Verney Close, Butlers Marston, Warwick, moved 13 of his cattle despite a TB movement restriction against his whole herd.
Animal Health (DEFRA) notified Warwickshire Trading Standards Service, to inform them that Mr Goodman had moved cattle off his farm whilst his herd was subject to a movement restriction. Upon further investigation Trading Standards Animal Health Officers discovered that Mr Goodman had moved 13 of his cattle for sale.
Although these 13 cattle had been tested for TB, the remaining herd had not. Without the whole herd being tested the TB status is unknown and some cattle could be carriers of the disease. For a movement restriction to be lifted the whole herd must test negative for TB otherwise no cattle can be moved unless under a licence issued by Animal Health (DEFRA). Once a herd has tested negative, Warwickshire farmers will be required to have either annual or biannual tests on their herd.
Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection said:
“Compliance with animal movement restrictions is just one important measure in the fight against the spread of this disease. Trading Standards Animal Health Officers are working hard with farmers to try to reduce the risks of Bovine TB. This disease makes life a misery for farming families and costs taxpayers millions £ every year. We need to ensure that we minimise the outbreaks in Warwickshire otherwise it poses a very real threat to the beef and dairy industries.”
Through legislation the government has implemented a number of control measures to reduce the risk of spreading disease, to protect public health and to prevent cattle suffering from Bovine TB. Compulsory TB testing is one of these measures.
Mr Goodman was also prosecuted and fined for failing to keep accurate breeding records of births and deaths in his herd of cattle. He was fined a total of £400 for failing to comply with the regulations.