The Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, Andrew Muir, has been urged to “follow the science” in the battle against bovine tuberculosis (TB).
The call has come from one of the largest veterinary groups in Northern Ireland which has outlined why it believes that any strategy to combat TB must include “targeted and
scientifically justified wildlife intervention”.
The Association of Veterinary Surgeons Practicing in Northern Ireland (AVSPNI), which has met with the minister, has also urged him to examine TB strategies in Ireland and throughout the UK which also incorporate the “increased use of interferon-gamma blood test where appropriate”.
The AVSPNI stated: “By implementing these measures, the authorities in Great Britain and Republic of Ireland are now reaping the benefits through a decrease in bovine TB incidence and a corresponding decrease in associated welfare issues in both cattle and wildlife.
“We should strive for a similar approach in Northern Ireland in order to improve animal welfare, reduce mental stress in the farming community and reduce the financial burden on farmers, government and ultimately the tax payer”.
TB
Minister Muir told the Stormont assembly last week during a motion on TB that he shared “concerns about the disappointingly high levels of TB across Northern Ireland”.
“Herd incidences here have remained above 10% since 2022. I am also acutely conscious of the more recent increase in animal incidence, which now stands at over 1%.
“That has risen from 0·55% at the end of 2014. That points towards large breakdowns and more cattle being slaughtered for disease control. Indeed, over 20,000 cattle have been removed from farms in Northern Ireland in the past 12 months,” the minister added.
He also detailed to Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) that the “high disease rates also place significant pressure on my department’s budget”.
Minister Muir said: “Last year, the cost of delivering our TB programme was over £55 million, with the compensation bill accounting for over £36 million.
“My officials advise that this year’s costs could be in the region of £60 million. That also curtails my ability to allocate more of my scarce resources to tackling TB.”
But he did confirm that Northern Ireland’s Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), Brian Dooher, has been carrying out “a thorough review of our approach to tackling bovine TB” and that this review is “nearing completion”.
The minister has indicated that he will brief members of Stormont’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee on its “content and approach” next week.
According to the AVSPNI, which includes 530 vets among its membership, Northern Ireland is now “at a crucial point in the fight against bovine TB”.
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