Shetland Islands Council is urging sheep importers to take extra care when transporting sheep to the island.
This is due to the area’s high health status, which could be jeopardised if imported sheep bring new diseases to Shetland’s flocks.
It is estimated that around three times as many female sheep are being imported to Shetland than were being imported a decade ago.
This is putting pressure on the measures already in place there to monitor disease.
The Shetland Animal Health Scheme was created to manage testing among sheep and cattle, aiming to maintain its disease free status.
These regimes have already prevented the spread of infectious diseases such as Maedi Visna (MV) and Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE).
To help continue this success, Shetland Islands Council is asking sheep farmers to take steps to reduce the risk of spreading infectious diseases to Shetland flocks.
Hilary Burgess, veterinary advisor with Shetland Islands Council’s environmental health team, said: “The testing systems which we have in place in Shetland have prevented diseases spreading from imported sheep to the Shetland flock.
“The support of farmers and crofters for the Animal Health Scheme has enabled Shetland maintain a uniquely high sheep health status over many years.
“These testing systems are now coming under increased pressure as numbers of imported sheep increase and we’d urge all importers to take steps so that we can continue to keep infectious diseases out of the isles.”
Reducing the risk of diseases
It has been advised that sheep farmers only import the minimum number of sheep needed for their business and no more, supporting local farmers where possible.
Another thing that can help reduce the risk of disease is examining imported sheep regularly for any sign of disease and contacting a vet if there are any abnormalities.
Sheep must go into isolation for a period after being imported, so it’s important to plan ahead for this.
If importing female sheep, it is also necessary to consider when they will be lambing.