Bluetongue: Movement guidance and licences
- Are you in a Zone?
- How are you affected?
- Purpose of the Zones
- Designating land as part of the Surveillance Zone
- Movement guidance
- Livestock markets
- Licences
Bluetongue disease control restrictions are in place. Certain livestock movements are licenced but the movement types and conditions vary. It is important to know which controls apply to avoid spreading disease.
Where movements are permitted, all other existing disease control requirements must be complied with. This includes statutory TB requirements.
Are you in a Zone?
Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones cover much of England. In the first instance you should consult the:
- Interactive map - Search by postcode to see if you are in a Zone.
- Map: Protection Zone, Surveillance Zone and Welsh Restricted Zone (1.73 MB)
How are you affected?
Bluetongue-susceptible animals for slaughter from within the Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones may be taken to approved slaughterhouses in England outside the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone. Animals from within the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone, but not from the Bluetongue Protection Zone, may also be taken to slaughter at approved slaughterhouses in Wales.
NB Bluetongue-susceptible animals may be moved without restriction from the English Bluetongue surveillance zone to the Welsh Bluetongue Restricted zone and vice versa.
Specific guidance and licences that apply to your area:
Purpose of the Zones
The purpose of these Zones is to control Bluetongue and facilitate exports. They are based on our contingency plans and continued work with the industry. The Zones above set out what conditions are required in a given area of GB.
It is important to remember that more than one set of rules may apply when moving livestock.
Designating land as part of the Surveillance Zone
Livestock Keepers
Livestock keepers may apply to their local Animal Health Divisional Office to have land which they occupy outside of the current Surveillance Zone, designated as part of that Zone. The land must be within 8km of the boundary and specific conditions apply to moving animals.
Abattoirs and Markets
Abattoirs and markets may also apply to their local Animal Health Office to be designated as part of the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone. The premises must be within 8km of the boundary and specific conditions to markets apply, see guidance for further details.
- Guidance to markets on arrangement to designate premises/land as part of the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone
- Guidance to livestock keepers on the arrangements to designate land as part of the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone (SZ)
- Designated Surveillance Zone Premises.
Movement guidance
The EU Commission Regulation 1266/2007 on Bluetongue allows the movement of ruminant animals, including camelids (llamas, alpaca, guanaco and vicuñas), out of a protection or surveillance zone under certain conditions. This is to minimise the risk of infected animals moving to a disease-free area of the UK or EU.
Animal keepers wishing to undertake such moves must consider the guidance below, which outlines the types of moves permitted and the conditions that must be met. This guidance does not apply where the movement is for animals to be slaughtered (see separate guidance available on the Defra website).
NB Bluetongue-susceptible animals may be moved without restriction from the English Bluetongue surveillance zone to the Welsh Bluetongue Restricted zone.
The movement conditions fall into the following categories:
Vector Free Period
The vector free period (VFP) is a time during the winter when the evidence shows that midge activity is at its lowest. The risk of transmission is therefore very low. The beginning and end of the vector free period are declared by the Chief Veterinary Officer.
The 2007/2008 VFP began on 20th December 2007 and ended on 15th March 2008.
Protection from Vector Attack
Livestock, including those used to provide semen and embryos, that have been protected from attack by midges can be moved out of the restricted zones under General Licence EXD471(BT)(E). Animal keepers wishing to move livestock protected from vector attack will need to comply with the requirements of the licence including the completion of self declaration form 1. Guidance for both keepers and private vets, including the criteria for protection from vector attack, is available:
- General licence EXD471(BT) (PDF) (11 KB) - for the movement of ruminating animals from premises in any Bluetongue zone
- Self declaration form 1 (PDF) (10 KB)
- Criteria for protection from vector attack (PDF) (23 KB)
- Testing guidance
- Guidance for vets
Naturally immune livestock
Livestock kept in either a protection or surveillance zone:
(a) were subjected to a serological test to detect antibodies against the bluetongue virus serotype, with positive results; the test must be carried out between 60 and 360 days before the date of movement;
or
(b) were subjected to a serological test to detect antibodies against the bluetongue virus serotype, with positive results; the test must be carried out at least 30 days before the date of the movement and the animals were subjected to an agent identification test, with negative results, carried out not earlier than seven days before date of the movement.
can be moved out of the restricted zones under General Licence EXD471(BT)(E).
Animal keepers wishing to move naturally immune livestock protected will need to adhere to the requirements of the licence including the completion of self declaration form 1.
- General licence EXD471(BT) (PDF) (11 KB) - for the movement of ruminating animals from premises in any Bluetongue zone
- Self declaration form 1 (PDF) (10 KB)
- Testing guidance
- Guidance for vets
Vaccination
Livestock vaccinated with an inactivated BTV vaccine can be moved out of the restricted zones under General Licence EXD479(BT)(E).
Both unvaccinated livestock and vaccinated livestock in the Bluetongue restricted zones can move to slaughter in the free area subject to the normal slaughter conditions.
Please see the licence for the specific movement conditions. In summary vaccinated animals will be able to leave the restricted zones if they meet either of the following conditions:
1) they have been vaccinated more than 60 days before the date of movement;
Or
2) they were subjected to an agent identification PCR test with negative results, carried out at least 35 days after the vaccination was completed;
Animal keepers wishing to move vaccinated livestock will need to comply with the requirements of the licence including the completion of the self declaration form at annex 2 and obtain the relevant veterinary certificate.
Guidance for both keepers and private vets, is available:
Livestock markets
- Markets may operate as usual within the Bluetongue Zones provided the animals stay within the Zones after sale unless they are going to slaughter at approved slaughterhouses, or they can comply with the conditions on movements to live.
- Markets approved under the Animals Gatherings Order must fully comply with all requirements of AGO licences.
- Bluetongue: List of slaughterhouses outside the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone approved to receive animals from the Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones.
- Bluetongue: a list of approved slaughterhouses in Wales to receive animals from the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone.
Licences
Check the licence conditions carefully to ensure you comply with them all.
Wales
The following licences on this page apply to England only. For licences that apply to Wales please see the Welsh Assembly Government website.
Scotland
The following licences on this page apply to England only. For licences that apply to Scotland please see the Scottish Government website.
England
The following licences apply to England only.
Consignment Note for use when transporting animals and other things under a general licence (PDF) (9 KB)
- Vaccination
- Movements of animals to slaughter
- Movement of animals out of a Bluetongue Protection Zone or Bluetongue Surveillance Zone
- Transit through Bluetongue Zones
- Movement of Semen, Ova and Embryos
Vaccination
| Subject | Licence number | Last updated | Title | File size (KB) |
| Obtaining vaccine | EXD487(BT) | 30/04/08 | General licence for obtaining BTV8 vaccine from manufacturers or wholesalers | 25 KB |
| Vaccination of animals | EXD488(BT) | 30/04/08 | General licence to vaccinate animals against Bluetongue (BTV8) | 20 KB |
| Movement of vaccinated animals | EXD479(BT) | 02/05/08 | General licence for the movement of vaccinated ruminant animals out of a Bluetongue Protection Zone or a Bluetongue Surveillance Zone | 45 KB |
Movements of animals to slaughter
| Subject | Licence number | Last updated | Title | File size (KB) |
| Movement to slaughter from a Protection Zone to an area free from restrictions | EXD464(BT) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminating animals out of a Protection Zone to slaughter in an area free from Bluetongue restrictions Guidance: Movement to slaughter out of the Bluetongue Surveillance and Protection Zones for England. Movement to slaughter out of the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone for Wales List of slaughterhouses outside the Bluetongue Restricted Zone approved to receive animals from the Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones |
18 KB |
| Movement to slaughter from a Surveillance Zone to an area free from restrictions | EXD465(BT) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminant animals out of a Surveillance Zone to slaughter in an area free from Bluetongue restrictions Guidance: Movement to slaughter out of the Bluetongue Surveillance and Protection Zones for England. Movement to slaughter out of the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone for Wales List of slaughterhouses outside the Bluetongue Restricted Zone approved to receive animals from the Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones |
18 KB |
| Movement to slaughter from a Protection Zone to the Surveillance Zone | EXD466(BT) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminating animals from premises in a Protection Zone to slaughter in a Surveillance Zone. | 19 KB |
| Slaughtering animals in the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone which have moved direct from premises in the Bluetongue Protection Zone. | EXD489(BT) | 30/04/08 | General licence to slaughter animals in the Bluetongue Surveillance Zone which have moved direct from premises in the Bluetongue Protection Zone | 25 KB |
Movement of animals out of a Bluetongue Protection Zone or Bluetongue Surveillance Zone
| Subject | Licence number | Last updated | Title | File size (KB) |
| Movement out of a Protection Zone or a Surveillance Zone | EXD471(BT) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminant animals out of a Bluetongue Protection Zone or a Bluetongue Surveillance Zone | 19 KB |
| Self Declaration | Declaration 1 | 28/04/08 | Self declaration to support general licence EXD471(BT) | 10 KB |
| General licence for the movement of ruminant animals | EXD477(BT)(E) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminant animals from part of a premises in a Surveillance Zone to another part of the same premises in a Restricted Zone in Wales | 16 KB |
| General licence for the movement of ruminant animals from the Surveillance Zone | EXD478(BT) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminant animals from premises in a Surveillance Zone in England to premises in a Restricted Zone in Wales | 20 KB |
Transit through Bluetongue Zones
| Subject | Licence number | Last updated | Title | File size (KB) |
| Transit through the Restricted Zone | EXD467(BT) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminant animals from premises in an area free from Bluetongue restrictions through the Restricted Zone to another area free from Bluetongue restrictions | 18 KB |
| Transit through an area free from restrictions | EXD468(BT) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminant animals from premises in a Surveillance Zone through an area free from Bluetongue restrictions to a Surveillance Zone or any other part of a Restricted Zone excluding a Protection Zone |
18 KB |
| Transit through a Protection Zone | EXD470(BT) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminant animals from premises in a Surveillance Zone through a Protection Zone to a Surveillance Zone | 18 KB |
| Protection Zone to another Protection Zone via the Surveillance Zone | EXD459(BT) | 28/04/08 | General licence for the movement of ruminant animals from a Bluetongue Protection Zone to a Bluetongue Surveillance Zone where the movement is direct to another Bluetongue Protection Zone. | 30 KB |
Movement of Semen, Ova and Embryos
| Subject | Licence number | Last updated | Title | File size (KB) |
| Movement of semen, ova and embryos out of Restricted Zone | EXD463(BT) | 13/12/07 | General licence for the movement of semen, ova and embryos of ruminating animals located in a Restricted Zone to another premises in an area free from Bluetongue restrictions | 18 KB |
Page last modified: 12 May, 2008
