Industry expresses frustration with ‘ad hoc’ Bluetongue controls
12th September 2025
With breeding sales and autumn livestock movements approaching, AIMS and other industry members are raising concerns over what they call an “ad hoc approach” to Bluetongue control measures—policies they say are causing significant costs and disruption across the sector.
Dr Jason Aldiss, executive director at AIMS, said that when the restricted zone was expanded to cover all of England earlier this year, AIMS wrote to ministers warning that the move was based on political rather than epidemiological boundaries. He argued that this would allow animals to move freely up to the Scottish and Welsh borders, increasing the risk of spreading disease.
Dr Aldiss added that the subsequent confirmation of cases of Bluetongue near Hereford and Lancaster have also raised questions on the delineation of the restricted zone.
He continued: “Due to the fact that this disease is spread by midges, the disease epidemiology is different from traditional diseases, and it is accepted internationally that disease control zones for vector-borne diseases need to reflect this.”
The expert explained that the restricted zones for Bluetongue usually comprise a protection zone with a radius of 100 km, outside of which there is a further 50km surveillance zone.
“This is reflected in EU legislation and set out in the GB Bluetongue strategy, which states that a restricted zone may consist of a protection zone with a radius of at least 100km declared around the infected premises and a surveillance zone with a radius of at least a further 50 km and that it is expected that zones will be declared on both sides of the borders between England and Wales and England and Scotland,” he added.
Concerns raised
Mr Aldiss said that the GB strategy goes on to state that the boundaries of the restricted zone may be increased in size in response to disease spread in order to maintain the minimum boundaries of the protection zone and surveillance zone.
He added: “The identification of bluetongue virus on a farm near Hereford, which is within 40 km of the Welsh border, should have resulted in the restricted zone being expanded into Wales, probably as far as Carmarthen, in line with the strategy.
“No evidence or rationale has been provided to justify the decision not to do so which again seems to be politically rather than evidence driven”.
Mr Aldiss said that this situation raises “several concerns”. He asked: “Are politically driven decisions on disease control measures imposing significant and unnecessary costs and disruption on the livestock industry whilst failing to apply adequate disease control measures?”.
“And, if agreed disease control strategies, which have been subject to wide consultation, are just ignored, how can we expect industry to plan and contribute to future disease incidents?”.
READ MORE: Time running out to vaccinate for bluetongue, NSA says
Claims rejected by DEFRA
DEFRA’s team said it “firmly” rejects the claims.
A spokesperson for the department added: “Restrictions are set by evidence and science, and we will do what it takes to protect our farmers and the economy from the risks of animal disease.
“Following consultation with scientists and industry, the bluetongue restriction zone now covers all of England, as the area where disease is present is too large for movement restrictions to remain an effective and proportionate way of controlling bluetongue.
“We continue to closely engage with devolved governments and stakeholders on disease controls.”
READ MORE: Bluetongue: Scotland to relax movement controls
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