Friday, August 03, 2007

Outbreak outburst...

Some things really scare me...silly things. Yesterday there was a possible outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease, today it was confirmed (DEFRA). Thank God that the lessons learnt - after the mistakes made...unnecessarily! - from the disaster in 2001 seem to have been put into practise.
"On the basis of the initial laboratory results Debby Reynolds, UK Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed Foot and Mouth Disease. In accordance with the legislation and contingency planning arrangements all the cattle on the premises will be culled. A Protection Zone of three kilometres radius and a Surveillance Zone of 10 kilometres has been placed around the premises, and a GB wide national movement ban of all ruminants and pigs has been imposed."
The BBC reports that Gordon Brown is already involved; in the same report Tim Bonner, from the Countryside Alliance is reported as saying:
"Even the words 'foot-and-mouth' will send a chill through the spine of every farmer in the country. "We hope for a better response this time from the government - the last time it was chaos."
Now some of you may not agree but I do...100%, not only about the 'chill' and the chaos but also about the woeful response. I know it's not good blogging just to repeat the news but this is personal: the 2001 outbreak was part of a major change in my life; in many ways it formed part of the reason me and the ex Mrs. Ows got a divorce...however, that's a tale for telling another day.
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Update 4th August: This in addition to US and Japanese bans...
EU to Ban Live Animal Exports from UK - Spokesman, Source: Reuters (dated 04/08/2007)

BRUSSELS, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The European Commission will ban live animal exports from the United Kingdom, along with meat and dairy products only from the area of England affected by an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, the European Union executive body said on Saturday. "The European Commission will adopt an emergency measure on Monday that exports of all live animals, meat products and dairy products from the affected area will be banned," Commission spokesman Philip Tod said."All live animals from the rest of Britain, but not meat and dairy products, will also be banned for export. This measure does not affect Northern Ireland,"

Britain was moving rapidly to contain the outbreak of foot and mouth, a highly infectious disease that devastated farming six years ago, by isolating a farm west of London on Saturday.Ireland has said it was banning the import of meat and non pasteurised milk as well as livestock from Britain, a step it is allowed to take under EU rules until the bloc's executive takes its decision."Although the Commissiondeems additional measures unnecessary, any country is entitled to take emergency measures under EU rules until Monday,"

6 comments:

Linda Mason said...

Oh Span, being a nosy cow I am very interested in the story for another day. Could you make it tomorrow?

Yours, waiting with baited breath

Mags xxx

Span Ows said...

hehehe...why am I not surprised Mags! Breathe out! It'll be a while yet...but one day...maybe soon...I will post but as you know I'm not Mr. Post-about personal-stuff...

P.S. and 'off topic': I asked Lucy but perhaps you know...do we have a code for the footy league this season?

Linda Mason said...

Yes, we so Spangles. It's on Paul's blog...somewhere. The code isn't in the blog entry about the footie but the one below if my memory serves me right.

Spangles (because you glitter and are so sweet) I appreciate that this must have been an enormously emotional episode in your life but noseyness aside, I am genuinely interested in a bit more personal Spangles rather than the tidbits that are fed in slight morsels in the odd posting!

We could call it blog therapy and we'll hold hands and you can cry on my ample busom whilst I stroke your head.

Span Ows said...

cry?...OK, for starters :-)

No worries Mags, let me sort out my mental state first and I'll post...soon enough for you not to get all flustered having to wait so long!

Gavin Corder said...

Baldy's got it on his blog - it is cunningly pointed to by saying Madonna's got it! Remember the post about the naked woman in the street? Of course you do Span, what sort of pervert do you call yourself?

Gavin Corder said...

Less talk of Mags' big breaths too please!