Calls for livestock reforms
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• by Guy Sheppard An animal welfare organisation says tighter controls on the transport of live animals are needed to reduce the risk of another footand-mouth epidemic.
The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is calling for a review of the entire livestock industry but warns that some changes need to be brought in immediately.
In transport, these include employing more animal health inspectors to monitor livestock movements and improving the standard of ventilation, feeding and watering for livestock en route for more than four hours. SSPCA superintendent Mike Flynn says: "We are not having a pop at the hauliers because they worked their socks off during the crisis and we have nothing but praise for them." But he believes the epidemic could have been contained far quicker if livestock movements were better regulated.
'`At the start of the outbreak 1,000 animals went through Longtown market in Cumbria and were never entered into the records," Flynn reports. "If there had been traceability and a link between the transport certificates and the market records, then the disease could have been contained quicker."
Eddie Harper, a Somerset
based livestock transport consul tant and chairman of the Rom Haulage Association's livestocl transport group, says Europear proposals to raise standards o ventilation are currently out foi consultation.
He believes better facilities tr clean and disinfect vehicles wink be one of the best ways of contain ing further outbreaks.
"I don't think most livestocl hauliers would have a problem witl improving their vehicles but im need scientific facts to show it doing the animals good," he says "People are now paying £100,001 for a three-deck trailer witl drinkers and fans."