The Bluetongue (Scotland) Order 2008

PART 3 Confirmation of bluetongue

Control zones

13.—(1) The Scottish Ministers must, on confirmation of bluetongue on premises in Scotland, declare a control zone with a radius of 20 kilometres centred on the infected premises.

(2) The Scottish Ministers must, on confirmation of bluetongue outside Scotland by a competent authority other than the Scottish Ministers, declare a control zone extending to that part of Scotland within a radius of 20 kilometres centred on the infected premises outside Scotland.

(3) No person may move an animal, into, out of, or within a control zone declared under paragraph (1) or (2).

(4) A control zone declared under paragraph (1) or (2) may be extended or reduced by the Scottish Ministers on the basis of epidemiological, geographical, ecological or meteorological circumstances.

(5) The Scottish Ministers may, in declaring a control zone under paragraph (1) or (2), specify such other measures as they consider necessary to reduce the risk of the spread of bluetongue.

Protection and surveillance zones

14.—(1) On confirmation of bluetongue the Scottish Ministers must declare a–

(a) protection zone (incorporating the control zone declared under paragraph (1) of article 13) with a radius of at least 100 kilometres centred on the infected premises; and

(b) surveillance zone with a depth of at least 50 kilometres extending beyond the limits of the protection zone.

(2) A surveillance zone must not include any area in which vaccination has been carried out in the twelve month period before confirmation of bluetongue.

(3) No person may move an animal from a protection zone to a surveillance zone except as authorised by a licence granted by the Scottish Ministers.

(4) No person may move an animal, embryo, ovum or semen out of a restricted zone except as authorised by a licence granted by Scottish Ministers.

(5) No person may move an animal out of or within a restricted zone in which bluetongue is circulating if it is showing clinical signs of bluetongue on the day of movement.

(6) The Scottish Ministers must grant a licence under paragraphs (3) and (4) if the movement is permitted under the Commission Regulation, and the conditions of such a licence must be such as to ensure that the movement is made in accordance with the Commission Regulation.

(7) The Scottish Ministers may, in declaring a protection zone and surveillance zone, specify such other measures as they consider necessary to reduce the risk of the spread of bluetongue.

Protection zone or surveillance zone where bluetongue confirmed outside Scotland

15.—(1) The Scottish Ministers must, on confirmation of bluetongue outside Scotland by a competent authority other than the Scottish Ministers, declare a protection zone, or a surveillance zone, or both.

(2) The zone or zones declared under paragraph (1) must extend to that part of Scotland within the radius of the protection zone and surveillance zone required under article 14 (1), centred on the infected premises outside Scotland.

(3) The Scottish Ministers may, in declaring a protection zone, or a surveillance zone, or both, under paragraph (1), specify such other measures so they consider necessary to reduce the risk of the spread of bluetongue.

Premises straddling zones

16.—(1) Premises partly inside a temporary control zone or control zone are treated as being wholly inside that zone.

(2) Premises partly inside a protection zone and partly inside a surveillance zone are treated as being wholly inside the protection zone.

(3) Premises partly inside a surveillance zone and partly in a free area are treated as being wholly inside the surveillance zone.

Powers of veterinary inspectors in restricted zones

17.—(1) A veterinary inspector may, by notice, require the occupier of premises in a restricted zone or the keeper of any animal on such premises to allow the vaccination of any animal kept there and to

(a) retain an animal for use as a sentinel animal; or

(b) allow the introduction of a sentinel animal onto those premises.

(2) In this article “sentinel animal” means an animal that does not have antibodies to bluetongue virus when first introduced or retained at the premises, and is used for surveillance for bluetongue virus.

Slaughterhouses

18.—(1) The Scottish Ministers may designate slaughterhouses for the purposes of slaughtering animals transported out of a restricted zone.

(2) The conditions of any designation must be such as to ensure that the slaughterhouse operates in accordance with the Commission Regulation.