Outbreaks of bluetongue and bird flu cases on the island highlight the ongoing biosecurity threats that Ireland is now facing according to Minister Martin Heydon.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine today (Wednesday, December 17) launched the second "National Farmed Animal Biosecurity Strategy" which aims to focus on "disease prevention".

According to Minister Heydon the strategy acknowledges that "the health and welfare of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment - including ecosystems - are closely linked and interdependent".

Minister Heydon said: "The strategy has been launched at a particularly important time with the recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) and the arrival of bluetongue in Northern Ireland.

"Preventing disease and maintaining good herd and flock health is essential to facilitating export market access and maintaining our reputation with trading partners".

Biosecurity strategy

The new strategy, which will run until 2030, has six key objectives, these include:

To continue engagement and collaboration between authorities in Ireland and Northern Ireland in relation to an all-island approach to disease prevention and control;
Investigate and use novel methods to distribute information on biosecurity and expand the availability of biosecurity information online;
Continue work on developing and publishing codes of practice for farm biosecurity;
Identify and address barriers to the implementation of effective and consistent biosecurity measures through R&D;
Collaborate with farm organisations and other stakeholders to promote effective, sustained biosecurity practices through evidence-based behavioural change strategies.

According to DAFM among the key targets for the next five years is to reduce the prevalence of endemic disease and ensure Ireland is better protected against exotic diseases.

The department has outlined that while as an island Ireland has a unique advantage in terms of biosecurity climate change factors such as increased temperatures can increase the geographic extent of where insect vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks can survive and breed.

"This can mean that diseases not normally found in Ireland could become established if introduced by infected vectors," the department warned.

According to DAFM while it is not possible to eliminate the risk of certain vectors, such as midges being introduced to Ireland by wind-borne spread, there are "many actions farmers can take to help prevent spread of disease using biosecurity as an important tool in that fight".