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[BBC News] Foot-and-mouth controls relaxed


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The Isle of Man can begin to relax some of the control measures introduced to combat foot-and-mouth disease, a minister says.

 

If this is true can anybody explain why vehicle checkers saw fit to confiscate unused pints of Tesco's milk at Heysham as a 'foot and mouth precaution'. If Tesco's can bring it in themselves what other reason (save perhaps you have no milk for a brew in the canteen) is there for such an over the top response?

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The Isle of Man can begin to relax some of the control measures introduced to combat foot-and-mouth disease, a minister says.

 

If this is true can anybody explain why vehicle checkers saw fit to confiscate unused pints of Tesco's milk at Heysham as a 'foot and mouth precaution'. If Tesco's can bring it in themselves what other reason (save perhaps you have no milk for a brew in the canteen) is there for such an over the top response?

 

 

Simply because Tesco milk is pure evil, hench it might have been smuggling Foot and Mouth :D

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I like Phil Gawne, he seems to be a nice guy, with the Island's best interests at heart but I feel with the F&M situation he's been bullied into taking the recent precautions by the farming community. His position is arguably the toughest ministerial role as he's responsible for a sector which won't take no for an answer. It takes a strong character to stand up to farmers/fishermen (what few of them are left) and if the Minister doesn't do as they want then it's bye bye time.

 

I think any other Minister in any other jurisdiction elsewhere would have been subject to a vote of no confidence, as the restrictions brought in place in the past fortnight have shown a lack of understanding of the situation. Unfortunately for Mr Gawne I think this was an opportunity missed, he could have stood up to the Farming community, monitored the situation without the knee-jerk reaction and have been proven right which would've been power to his elbow. Now the farmers have him exactly where they want him.

 

I think he has done a very good job for the Island in his role but this has been a very big wobble.

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The sensible thing would have to have checks at port + airport for those in recent contact with animals in or near the UK control zone (their cars would already have been disinfected if they left post Sat!) and few farmers travel in their wellies on the plane. I presume he has a running list of livestock moved to the Island, as the incubation period is 7-10 days those moved in that time should have been checked - all other livestock movement from UK was banned anyway . Everything else was OTT and appears to have been a plan in case F&M had actually reached the Island, not some 200 miles away.

 

The farmers only have a few more years left anyway before the Island must allow free imports of milk etc (not even Gawne could stand up to the Finance sector if they lost EU free movement rights)

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