The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and BVA Northern Ireland Branch have welcomed the announcement that Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) will be deploying a range of additional and enhanced measures to strengthen its bovine TB (bTB) Eradication Programme. Following the launch of the TB Strategic Partnership Group’s (TBSPG) long-term strategy document on bTB eradication in December 2016, Northern Ireland Chief Veterinary Officer, Robert Huey, has restated his commitment to drive forward the eradication of bTB in Northern Ireland.
Alan Gordon, Junior Vice President, BVA Northern Ireland Branch, said:
“We welcome these latest steps to enhance the implementation of the TBSPG’s proposed strategy. BVA supports a comprehensive strategy that uses every available tool that we have in the toolkit to achieve the long-term goal of TB eradication in Northern Ireland. The publication of TBSPG strategy last year was a significant contribution to this comprehensive approach in the UK, and we are keen to see how the roll out of these measures impacts that strategy delivery.”