“The Scottish Beef Association think that this is the most logical way forward to prevent trade complications, the overall message on bluetongue remains the same, and that is the only way to protect your cattle fully is to vaccinate.” – Neil Shand, Chief Executive, Scottish Beef Association.
Movement licences currently required to move susceptible livestock, such as cattle, sheep and other ruminants, into, within and out of the South West Scotland zone will no longer be necessary, as the whole of Scotland will share the same disease status. This is expected to make trading considerably more straightforward for farmers, hauliers and auction markets ahead of the busy autumn trading period.
The decision follows agreement with key industry representatives, including:
- National Farmers’ Union Scotland,
- National Sheep Association,
- Scottish Beef Association
- Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers Scotland
- Quality Meat Scotland
Some bluetongue-related conditions will remain in place, such as the requirement that animals should not be moved when displaying clinical signs of the disease.
Total number of confirmed cases (premises) in the UK.
There have been 2,684 cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) or unspecified serotype in the UK in the 2026 to 2027 bluetongue season. A case is defined as a premises on which bluetongue has been confirmed, based on risk and following laboratory or clinical diagnosis. This includes:
- 2,185 cases in England
- 456 cases in Wales
- 43 cases in Scotland
- 0 cases in Northern Ireland
There are currently 757 potential cases of bluetongue under investigation. These are premises that have reported suspicious clinical signs and where the keeper has not yet received the test results.
Michael Priestley, Policy Manager, National Sheep Association said:
“The National Sheep Association supports the decision to simplify trading rules at this time of the year as risk of transmission decreases in autumn as the Culicoides midge activity falls as temperatures fall.
“Farmers should be aware that there is a trade-off between the benefit of eased restrictions and a reduced bureaucratic burden that brings an increased risk of the virus spreading. This trade-off is being made because of the faith in the vaccine technology, which to date has offered excellent coverage to livestock in affected areas of the UK.”
Scotland
| County | Number of cases (and change since last update) |
|---|---|
| Aberdeenshire | 3 |
| Angus | 1 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 38 |
| South Lanarkshire | 1 |
| Total | 43 |
| Species | BTV-3 animals confirmed |
|---|---|
| Sheep (including ewes, rams and lambs) | 21 |
| Cattle (including cows, heifers and calves) | 86 |
Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands in the Scottish Government Jim Fairlie said:
“Extending the Restricted Zone to cover the whole of Scotland is a practical, sensible step that reflects the reality of the situation we now face. It recognises that bluetongue is not going away any time soon, while removing an administrative burden on farmers at what is a critical time in the trading calendar.
“This decision has been agreed with industry, who saw no reason to delay, allowing businesses time to plan accordingly. I want to thank them for their continued constructive engagement as we’ve worked through our response to what I know has been a very difficult time for farmers.
“While extending the zone removes the need for movement licences, it does not change our long-term approach to tackling this disease. Vaccination remains the single most effective way for farmers to protect their animals from the worst effects of bluetongue, and I would strongly encourage anyone with susceptible livestock to speak to their vet now to discuss the right vaccination approach and to secure supplies ahead of next year’s higher-risk season.”
