I have assembled an assortment of foot and mouth links - local tourist information, local news, national news, comment books etc. Farming and tourism are linked in a way few understand - maybe some reading here will explain it clearer. The National Trust was formed in Keswick by people keen to preserve the countryside from development, (Canon Rawnsley was one of the founders). The NT own some 52000 sheep in the Lake District - with tenant farmers looking after them. You may now understand why they are desperately worried by the government's total disinterest in their pleading to have them vaccinated. Again - read all the documents.
http://www.cumbriafootandmouth.co.uk

Julian

The list of links on your web page keeps growing, as do the problems of saving the Herdwicks.

The government appear to be once again moving towards vaccination of cattle in Cumbria and Devon. I noticed a shift in opinion of a representative of the NFU who suggested that farmers may agree to vaccination if the government would protect them from any future financial loss resulting from this procedure. But there is no mention of sheep vaccination.

The material I have read suggests that vaccination in sheep is only around 95% effective, so some vaccinated animals could still contract the FMD virus and thus act as carriers, being able to pass it on to other susceptible animals.

Kelvyn
http://www.jenkinhill.co.uk

Yes - Kelvyn - there is a disagreement amongst sheep farmers - but who knows what is the right answer. Two Nat Trust farmers at the heads of the Eskdale and Wasdale valleys - both Naylor's, say the opposite - one wants it - the other doesn't. Both are on the point of giving up if their sheep are killed. They rely on sales of Herdwick meat and meat products to far-away customers.
The visitors to Keswick may like to know - when the problem has gone - that they can try tasty herdi-burgers, and other Herdwick based products at the Relph's farm and tea shop in Rosthwaite village. See
http://www.visitcumbria.com/fandm6.htm
Julian

Julian

We like to serve Herdwick lamb in our guest house as part of the 'Cumbrian experience' we like to create. This also serves in a small part to support the local economy. The lamb is always well received!

We still hear tonight that the NFU is opposed to vaccination without long term financial guarantees for farmers. This is different from the use of vaccine to preserve a breed of sheep. The comments I have heard today, including those of a local vet, suggest once again that the vaccine is far less effective in sheep than in cattle.

I believe that fell sheep should be vaccinated - in fact I thought this should have been done more than a month ago. The relatively wide dispersal of sheep on open fell is a barrier to virus transmission. Ensuring immunity to the virus of a majority of those sheep should only serve to enhance the barrier effect. However the risk would potentially be that this process would create a minority of fell sheep who carried the FMD virus. How you quantitate that risk I do not know.

I am not exactly a layman when it comes to epidemiology, I used to work in medical science. I would like to see preservation of the fell breeds but with the number of variables that have to be considered I doubt if a clear cut decision to vaccinate will be made. I hope there is a decision, very soon, but somehow I suspect it will be against vaccination.

Kelvyn
http://www.jenkinhill.net