Pembroke Dock Chamber of Trade

Despite the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) on a farm in Surrey, the Pembrokeshire countryside and all other unaffected areas in England and Wales remains open.

DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly Government state that there are currently no plans for a blanket closure of footpaths. The UK contingency plan provides for footpaths to be closed only on a local basis in the vicinity of any disease outbreak. Current veterinary advice considers that outside a protection zone where an outbreak has occurred, the risk of rights of way users and other visitors to the countryside spreading the disease is low. Any decision to close public rights of way would only be taken when it is clearly necessary to do so.

The next few days will be crucial in determining the spread of the disease, however, visitors to the countryside are asked to observe the following precautions:

avoid contact with livestock (particularly cattle, sheep, pigs and goats)
wash their hands if they do come into contact with livestock
keep dogs on leads
use any disinfectant facilities provided

Farmers and landowners seeking advice should contact the Animal Health Office in Carmarthen on 01267 245400.

In the Foot & Mouth outbreak of 2001 there were Hardship Grants awarded from the local authority, as the government launched a Business Recovery Fund to help compensate against losses incurred as a result of the crisis. Hopefully this current outbreak will be contained, so that there will be no requirement for such measures on this occasion, but I will keep abreast of the situation as it develops and endeavour to inform you at all times.