Last week, the Scottish government released its five-year Animal Health Plan. The Animal Health and Welfare in the Livestock Industry: Strategy 2016 to 2021 can be viewed here.

The plan looks at five themes (skills and knowledge, disease risk, welfare, regulatory and societal impact) and sets 12 action points for policy makers to work on.

These action points include making sure farmers have the best advice on health and welfare issues, and that this is communicated clearly, giving farmers a say in research priorities and looking at the best ways of improving animal welfare via the Welfare Working Group. The plan also promises to “seek to reduce Europe's regulatory burden in recognition of Scotland's good animal health record and disease-free status” and sets out plans for a review of current welfare legislation enforcement.

The full Plan is available here.

Commenting on the Plan’s release, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lockheed said, “Scotland is renowned for high standards of animal health and welfare. Working with industry, Scotland has already achieved Officially Tuberculosis Free Status (OTF) for cattle, and reduced exposure to Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) in our cattle herds from 40 per cent to 12 per cent. This is alongside the excellent developments in traceability of sheep and pigs that have been achieved with the ScotEID system.

“But we cannot be complacent – as demonstrated by the recent outbreak of very mild bird flu at a broiler-breeder unit near Dunfermline. This isolated case highlights the importance of constant watchfulness and good biosecurity, and the need for individual keepers, industry and the authorities to continue to work together. The new animal health and welfare strategy set outs how we will do this over the coming months and years.”

Scotland’s Chief Veterinary Officer Sheila Voas added on Friday, “As demonstrated in the Dunfermline case, the speed of response is absolutely crucial in containing and controlling infection when it does occur. The Scottish Government’s new animal health and welfare strategy will help ensure our livestock industry is as prepared as it can be for just such an eventuality and, even more importantly, is taking every available step to prevent an incursion in the first place.”

This week, vets welcomed the Scottish government’s strategy, praising the tailored approach to Scotland’s needs and the ‘one health’ policy adopted by the government, which uses monitoring and regular reporting, and looks at the links between animal health and welfare in conjunction with wider societal and climatic concerns.

BVA Scotland President Grace Webster said, “BVA and BVA Scottish Branch welcome this strategy tailored to Scotland’s needs, and the government’s one health approach in We wholly agree with the strategy’s recognition of the critical importance of surveillance as a tool in eradicating endemic diseases in Scotland, and its focus on promoting the responsible use of antimicrobials to safeguard future use.
 
“We recognise that delivering improvements in animal health and welfare is not a job for just one agency or group yet we would have liked to see more recognition of the frontline role of the veterinary surgeon in safeguarding animal health and promoting animal welfare. BVA Scottish Branch is looking forward to working as part of the Welfare Working Group to implement the actions that have been clearly laid out to achieve best health and welfare outcomes for Scotland’s livestock."