1997 No. 173
ANIMALS
Identification and Movement of Sheep and Goats Order (Northern Ireland) 1997
Made 20th March 1997
Coming into operation 1st August 1997

The Department of Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Articles 5(1)(b), 19(e) and (g), 44 and 60(1) of the Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 and of every other power enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:
S.I. 1981/1115 (N.I. 22) as amended by S.I. 1984/702 (N.I. 2) Art. 17 and S.I. 1994/1891 (N.I. 6) Art. 23

1 Citation and commencement
This Order may be cited as the Identification and Movement of Sheep and Goats Order (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 1st August 1997.

2 Interpretation
In this Order—
“animal” means sheep or goat;
“ear tag” in relation to an animal means a tag securely fastened to the outer ear of that animal;
“flock mark” means the identification mark allocated by the Department to a keeper of sheep;
“herd mark” means the identification mark allocated by the Department to a keeper of goats;
“herd number” has the same meaning as in the Tuberculosis Control Order (Northern Ireland) 1964;
“holding” means any establishment, construction or place in which animals are held, kept or handled;
“holding number” has the same meaning as in the Aujeszky’s Disease Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 1994;
“keeper” means any person responsible even on a temporary basis, for animals.
S.R. & O. (N.I.) 1964 No. 31; relevant amending order is S.R. 1986 No. 48
S.R. 1994 No. 199 Schedule

3 Notification of holdings
1 A person keeping any animal on a holding shall give notice to the Department containing particulars of—
(a) the address of the holding;
(b) the name and address of the owner or occupier of the holding;
(c) any numbers or codes used to identify animals on the holding including pedigree breed society codes;
(d) the presence of any cattle, pigs, sheep or goats on the holding; and
(e) the herd number allocated to any cattle and the holding number allocated to any pigs on the holding.
2 In the case of a holding established before 1st August 1997—
(a) where a request in writing has been sent to the keeper by the Department the duty imposed by paragraph (1) shall be complied with within three months after that request is sent to him or on or before 1st November 1997 whichever is the later; and
(b) in any other case, the duty imposed by paragraph (1) shall be complied with on or before 1st November 1997.
3 In the case of a holding established after 1st August 1997 the duty imposed by paragraph (1) shall be complied with within three months of the establishment of the holding.
4 Within one month of any change being made in the particulars referred to in paragraph (1), the keeper shall give notice to the Department of such change.
5 On receiving notification under this Article, the Department shall allocate to the keeper of the sheep or goats, a flock mark in the case of sheep and a herd mark in the case of goats.
6 A keeper shall give the particulars referred to in paragraph (1) to an inspector if requested to do so.
7 In this Article “holding” does not include any premises or place used for the time being for the purposes of any market, fair, show or sale of animals or any slaughterhouse.

4 Movement of sheep and goats
1 Subject to paragraph (2), a person shall not move or cause or permit to be moved any animal from a holding unless that animal bears a mark which shall be designed so as to be legible for the life of the animal and is in the form of an ear tag or tattoo showing the letters “UK” and a flock mark or herd mark allocated under this Order.
2 This Article shall not apply in the case of—
(a) movement between holdings where both holdings are occupied by the same person;
(b) movement between a holding, and any land over which a right of pasture, pertaining to that holding may be exercised in common with similar rights pertaining to other holdings; or
(c) movement for the purposes of veterinary treatment, dipping or shearing, or to a fair or show in Northern Ireland if the animal is due to return to the same holding immediately after such movement.

5 Importation of sheep and goats into Northern Ireland from outside the European Union
If an animal is imported into Northern Ireland from outside the European Union the animal may be moved from the point of importation to the holding of destination stated on the health certificate accompanying it, without being marked, but within 30 days of the date of its importation (unless it is slaughtered without being moved from the holding of destination within that time), or before it is moved from the holding of destination if sooner, it shall be marked on that holding in accordance with Article 4(1).

6 Restriction on removal of identification marks
Except in accordance with an authority issued by a veterinary inspector, a person shall not—
(a) remove or cause or permit to be removed from an animal a mark which has been applied or attached to it under this Order; or
(b) replace a mark applied or attached to an animal in accordance with those provisions otherwise than in replacement of one which has become illegible or which has been lost.

7 Construction of ear tags
A person shall not attach an ear tag to an animal for the purposes of marking it in compliance with this Order unless the ear tag is constructed in such a way that—
(a) it does not interfere with the well-being of the animal;
(b) any alteration to it can be readily detected; and
(c) it cannot be re-used.

8 Restriction on exposure of animals for sale and on admission to a slaughterhouse
1 A person shall not cause or permit an animal to be exposed for sale or displayed at any market or sale of animals unless that animal bears a mark in accordance with this Order.
2 A person in charge of a slaughterhouse shall not cause or permit any animal to be admitted to that slaughterhouse unless that animal bears a mark in accordance with this Order.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture on
R. S. Johnston Assistant Secretary 20th March 1997.

(This note is not part of the Order.)
This Order implements Council Directive 92/102 (O.J. No. L355, 5.12.92, p. 32) so far as it relates to the identification and registration of sheep and goats. It prohibits a person from keeping sheep or goats on any holding unless certain details in respect of that holding are notified to the Department (Article 3). A duty is imposed on all such persons to ensure that no sheep or goat is moved off a holding (Article 4) unless it is marked in accordance with this Order. Any animal imported from outside the European Union must be marked in accordance with this Order within 30 days of the date of import or before it is moved from the holding of destination if sooner (Article 5). It provides restriction on removal of marks (Article 6) and for the construction of ear tags (Article 7). The exposure for sale of any sheep or goat at a market or sale of such animals is prohibited unless such animal is marked in accordance with this Order (Article 8(1)). A duty is also imposed on a person in charge of any slaughterhouse to ensure that no sheep or goat is admitted to such premises unless it is marked in accordance with this Order (Article 8(2)).