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Bluetongue: Movement guidance and licences

Are you in a Zone?

Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones cover much of England. In the first instance you should consult the:


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. 

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:

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.

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

 

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

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

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs