Bluetongue fears as Scots farmer imports bull from France

Published Date: 03 April 2009
By Dan Buglass
Rural affairs editor
A BORDERS cattle breeder who imported a pedigree bull from France has been
condemned by farmers and veterinary experts amid fears that his action could
lead to an outbreak of the deadly Bluetongue virus in Scotland.
Bryan Walling, who farms at Over Whitlaw, near Selkirk, has imported a pedigree
Salers bull from France, in defiance of official guidelines and advice from the
National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS).

Walling's move has provoked fury in the farming world as the Massif Central
region where the breed originates has serious problems with bluetongue over the
past two years.

Following advice from its chief vet, Charles Milne, the Scottish Government last
year brought in a compulsory vaccination regime for all cattle and sheep north
of the Border at a cost of £4 million.

In England and Wales a regime of voluntary immunisation has been established.

However, official advice has consistently been to steer clear of imports for the
greater good of the livestock industry.

Yesterday, Walling's action was widely condemned by neighbouring farmers, the
farmers union and Scotland's senior vet.

Billy Renwick, who farms at Blackhouse at the head of the Yarrow Valley, near
Selkirk, and is the president of the local NFUS branch, led the criticism.

He said: "We simply cannot understand why anyone would want to take such a
chance. Mr Walling is not popular, and that is putting it politely."

Jim McLaren, president of NFUS, was equally blunt. He said: "I am extremely
disappointed that the industry's voluntary ban on importing animals from
BT-infected zones appears to have been broken.

"I have tried to speak to the farmer concerned to highlight that importing
animals from Europe, although legal if certain conditions are met, presents the
greatest risk of bringing bluetongue to Scotland."

There are known to be at least 26 strains of bluetongue circulating throughout
the world, but BTV8 and BTV1 are regarded as representing the greatest threat to
European livestock production. BTV8 arrived in the south of England in the
autumn of 2007, but no incidences have to date been reported in Scotland.

McLaren said: "The imported bull has almost certainly been vaccinated against
not only BTV8, but also BTV1, raising fresh concerns about the problems that
could arise from the arrival of a second strain in the UK."

Milne, who will shortly step down from his post as Scotland's chief vet, was
equally concerned. He said: "I am aware that one bull has been imported from
France to the Borders. The local animal health office is monitoring the animal
and making appropriate checks.

"While this import is legal, I would urge farmers to think very carefully about
where they source stock and to avoid taking any unnecessary risks.

"Bluetongue can have a catastrophic effect on herds and flocks and a farmer's
livelihood can easily be torn from him."

Attempts to contact Walling, the senior business partner at the B&F Walling
business that runs the farm, have proved unsuccessful.

The level of anger in the farming community is a reflection of the fears over
the possible effect of a Bluetongue outbreak in Scotland. Vets and industry
leaders have urged farmers to do everything possible to keep Scotland free from
the disease which was first identified in northern Europe almost three years
ago.

The virus, which invariably results in death among livestock and a massive drop
in fertility and productive efficiency, had previously been confined to
Mediterranean countries and north Africa.

There have been a number of confirmed cases of BTV8 in England in imported
cattle in recent months following testing.

The animals were subsequently slaughtered with no compensation: the vast
majority of farmers believe that this was the appropriate action.

In February The Scotsman revealed that two farmers in Northumberland had
imported pedigree cattle from Belgium, provoking anger north and south of the
Border.

Bluetongue tends to emerge in summer and autumn when midges, which spread it,
are active.

As of mid-October 2008, there had been more than 20,000 incidences of BTV8 and
3,000 of BTV1 in France.



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