Welsh farmers urged to vaccinate as Wales becomes a Bluetongue Protection Zone

The whole of Wales became a Bluetongue Protection Zone from midnight on Sunday (August 31) – with all farmers being urged to vaccinate as soon as possible.

Announcing the move, Welsh Assembly Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones, said the cases of bluetongue in imported cattle in Devon served as a stark warning of the importance of vaccination.

"This incident is a clear demonstration that bluetongue remains a very real threat to the Welsh livestock industry. Vaccination is the best protection against the disease," she added.

It was also essential farmers acted responsibly to protect the industry against the disease by thinking carefully about where they sourced animals and avoid moving them to Wales from areas where bluetongue was circulating.