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On
14th April the Scottish Executive issued further information
on access to the countryside. The SCA Access Officer has paraphrased
and quoted the main points of the new advice below
Advice
from SERAD to Local Authorities Easter 2001 (SERAD = Scottish
Executive Rural Affairs Department)
1.
Disease Control Areas Scotland has been spilt into three
areas for FMD control purposes. The areas indicate the likely
prevalence of disease in an area.
The Infected
Areas:
Wigtown in the west of Dumfries and Galloway including a small
part of South Lanarkshire and extending east into the Borders
(see Scottish Executive website)
The At
Risk Areas:
Up to the Forth Clyde line.
The
Provisionally Free Areas: North of the Clyde/Forth line and
including the Islands, including also the Cities of Edinburgh
and Glasgow
2.
Risks of spreading FM posed by visitors to the countryside
In
the early stages it was appropriate to adopt a precautionary
approach….Responsible informal access in rural Scotland is
of great social and economic importance.
We would
wish to move rapidly to a situation where only sites at a
genuine risk remain closed to the public and then ideally
only with official signs that have been sanctioned by Local
Authorities under the powers given to them.
This
would help rationalise the situation and maintain confidence
in the integrity of the signs that remain
3.
Information on Risk Origin of visitors
The only people who carry any real risk of spreading FMD are
those from infected farms and only if they had come straight
from an infected farm in the clothes, boots or vehicles they
were using on the infected farm.
People
who pass close to infected farms on roads are extremely unlikely
to pick up the virus.
Transmission
to sheep on the open hill
Taking
the above into account, it follows that the general public
do not represent any kind of threat to livestock. Even someone
wearing infected boots…..would have to come into direct contact
with livestock or deposit an infected lump of mud or dung
in a place where a sheep could ingest it. Sheep also need
to eat a lot of infected dung or mud to be infected by it.
Transmission
to deer on the open hill
All the above information applies equally to sporting estates.
Deer in the open tend to flee from walkers. Experiments in
the 70's with five different species suggest that deer do
not become carriers so if they become infected the disease
would run its course and disappear. They have no significance
as a source of airborne spread: they offer low risk to other
species.
Other
Favourable Factors to bear in mind
The virus doesn't like acid or alkaline conditions and peaty
soils are sufficently acid to destroy the virus (so it won't
live long in Scotland upland areas).
In the
summer the virus only is likely to live for 3 days on the
soil surface (it lives for up to 28 on the surface in autumnal
conditions)
4.
Fencing to restrict contact between livestock and the public
Normally
a single fence between a footpath and livestock will be adequate
usually supported by a warning signs on the fence.
5.
Reviewing Access Decisions
Local
authorities should continue with the process of reviewing
public access decisions taking account of the information
on risk with which they have been provided.
The aim
is to quickly move into a position where the restrictions
which remain, are recognised to be in place because a risk
assessment suggests they are necessary.
Where
this is the case, the restrictions should wherever possible
be backed by official signs and the profusion of voluntary
signs reduced.
6.
Action for Local Authorities
Review access decisions using the information provided
Consult
with framers and landowners and use above info to ensure a
better understanding of risk posed by public access
Establish
local access forums and convene meetings to improve flow of
information and degree of mutual understanding
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SCA
View based on this latest Scottish Executive communication.
It is
aimed at local authorities and it is quite clear that the
Scottish Executive want to see less ambiguity in practice
on the ground - i.e. they are saying "Scotland is open" and
they want to see that honoured by land managers and owners
unless there is significant risk.
They
are trying to tighten up on this by suggesting that signs
should be backed up and ratified by the Local Authority.
A key
point is that folk should not be discriminated against on
the basis of where they come from. The origins of infection
are very specific and you are only a risk if you come off
an infected farm, driving the same vehicle and wearing the
same clothes and boots that you went onto it in.
Driving
past it is not considered a risk - otherwise presumably nobody
would be allowed north of D and G and the Borders!!
As a
paddler you may pass through fields of sheep and cattle whilst
on the water - it has been argued that you are a risk if you
have to make an emergency exit and walk across the fields
to get out.
However,
unless you are wearing the same clothing and footwear in the
boat that you wore through an infected farm, you won't be
a risk - and how many folk regularly get into their boats
wearing (infected!) dung covered wellies, come on now, own
up?!! Exceptions will be made for sea kayakers, of course!
It is
handy to have these extra arguments up your sleeves in case
you do get into conflict - it shows that you are informed
and have thought about the consequences of your actions and
measured the risk involved.
It also
makes it less likely that we will be on the receiving end
of 'flannel' aimed at prolonging the restrictions of access
onto land and water for reasons other than FMD.
Fran
Pothecary SCA Access Officer 18th April 2001
FURTHER
INFORMATION
The Comeback
Code Outlines sensible precautions for those coming back
to enjoy the countryside.
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