The risk of a bluetongue outbreak occurring in NI has escalated in recent days as warmer weather has seen an increase in midge activity.

DAERA deputy chief vet David Kyle said forecasts indicate that midges were able to move into NI from Britain last week and there is a possibility that the virus could already be present in NI.

“There is no way we can stop these midges from coming. They will get here in the end. It’s a matter of when and how long we can keep ourselves clear from it,” he said.

Speaking to the NI Institute of Agricultural Science at Greenmount on Tuesday, Kyle said DAERA will initially try to “stamp out” bluetongue if it is confirmed on farms here.

Control costs

However, he pointed out that each 20km control zone which will be set up around infected premises costs £250,000 to implement.

“If we had 15 or 20 or them, it would become very unsustainable very quickly,” Kyle said.

A new Bluetongue Control Plan published by DAERA has also suggested that the way in which the disease spreads via midges means it could be very difficult to contain.

“Due to the high degree of uncertainty of impact and virtually uncontrollable method of spread, initial control measures may appear either ineffective or alternatively excessive to industry,” the document reads.

The plan states that livestock movements will be restricted and testing will be rolled out within each 20km control zone surrounding infected premises.

Livestock could also be culled by DAERA in the early stages of a Bluetongue outbreak to try to contain the viral disease.

Compensation will be paid at 50% of an animal’s value if it is positive for Bluetongue and 100% if it is negative, although no compensation is paid on animals that have been “recently imported”.

The DAERA document states that its approach to Bluetongue control will be subject to “ongoing evaluation and potential modification” which will be influenced by “scientific evidence, value for money assessment and stakeholder consultation”.