National Scrapie Plan – Consultation on options for a strategy

The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) are pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the above consultation.

Broadly, FAWC welcomes this forward planning document. Scrapie presents a significant welfare problem for that small proportion of the national flock which becomes clinically ill. Thus any scheme with the potential to eradicate the disease deserves support. However, there are a number of points that FAWC would like to be considered prior to the scheme moving forward.

Although the scheme aims to select against Scrapie and BSE, there is the potential that in doing that other diseases may be selected for, and therefore other welfare problems promoted. Such risks posed by this type of selective breeding should be considered carefully. This is, after all, a genetic experiment and it will be important for the Veterinary Surveillance Strategy to firmly take this concern on board.

FAWC is particularly concerned about the potential impact the proposed scheme could have on the diversity of the national sheep flock and seeks further reassurance regarding this. For example, the scheme could eliminate genotypes that have welfare value such resistance to other diseases and lamb survival. We also draw your attention to the importance of having animals suited to the diverse environmental conditions within the UK. As we have recently described in our Report on the Welfare Implications of Animal Breeding and Breeding Technologies, animal breeds kept in environments where their phenotype is not suited to local conditions can give rise to a number of animal welfare problems.

Furthermore, we also outlined in our Report the problems which can arise as a consequence of excessive selection for single traits within a livestock species. Whilst it may be the wish of those organising this scheme to avoid excessive selection occurring, what happens in reality when the industry responds to the scheme may be very different from that planned. We are not confident that those managing the scheme have prepared for this likelihood.

In addition to the general comments above, we wish to express our concern about any suggestion that adult rams might be castrated under the proposed scheme. In our view, this is an unnecessary mutilation for which there appears to be no justification.

Again, FAWC is grateful for the opportunity to comment on the proposed scheme and request that they remain fully informed on its progression.