The Swine Vesicular Disease Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

PART IINTRODUCTION

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Swine Vesicular Disease Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 and come into operation on 30th June 2009.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“carcase” means a carcase or part of a carcase of a pig;

“the Department” means the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development;

“infected premises” means any premises declared as such by the Department under Part III;

“inspector” means a person appointed to be an inspector for the purposes of these Regulations by the Department and includes a veterinary inspector;

“livestock” means hoofed animals other than horses;

“the Order” means the Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981(1);

“pig” means any animal of the suidae family;

“premises” includes any place

“sentinel pig” means a pig that does not have antibodies to the swine vesicular disease virus when first introduced or retained at the premises and is used for surveillance for the swine vesicular disease virus;

“seropositive pig” means a pig that is not a restricted pig but is required by the Department to be slaughtered in a slaughterhouse due to antibodies against swine vesicular disease virus being identified in that pig;

(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(2) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

References to occupier

3.—(1) Subject to regulation 4 any notice or declaration required or authorised under these Regulations to be served on the occupier of premises may be served on a person appearing to the person serving the notice or declaration to have day-to-day responsibility for the premises or for any pigs on the premises.

(2) Where a notice or declaration has been served on a person referred to in paragraph (1), any reference in these Regulations to an occupier shall be read as being a reference to that person.

Notices and declarations

4.—(1) Any notice or declaration required or authorised under these Regulations to be served on any person shall be in writing and may be amended, suspended or revoked in writing at any time.

(2) Any such notice or declaration may be served by—

(a)delivering it to the person;

(b)leaving it at the person’s usual or last known address; or

(c)sending it by post to the person at that address.

(3) If the name or address of any occupier of premises on whom a notice or declaration is to be served under these Regulations cannot, after reasonable inquiry, be ascertained, the notice or declaration may be served by leaving it conspicuously affixed to a building or object on the premises.

Licences

5.—(1) A licence granted under these Regulations shall be in writing and may be—

(a)general or specific;

(b)subject to conditions; and

(c)amended, suspended or revoked in writing at any time.

(2) A person moving anything under the authority of a specific licence shall—

(a)carry the licence or a copy of it at all times during the movement,

(b)on demand by an inspector or an officer of the Department, produce the licence or copy and allow a copy or extract to be taken,

and failure to do so is an offence.

(3) A person moving anything under the authority of a general licence shall—

(a)carry, at all times during the movement, a consignment note containing details of—

(i)what is being transported, including the quantity,

(ii)the date of the movement,

(iii)the names of the consignor and consignee,

(iv)the address of the place from which the movement started and of the destination,

(b)on demand by an inspector or an officer of the Department, produce the consignment note and allow a copy or extract to be taken, and

(c)keep the consignment note for at least six months,

and failure to do so is an offence.

(4) It is an offence to fail to comply with a condition of a licence granted under these Regulations.

(5) If a pig has been moved to premises under a licence, a veterinary inspector may serve a notice on the occupier of the premises of destination imposing such movement restrictions relating to pigs on those premises as are necessary to prevent the risk of spreading swine vesicular disease virus, and failure to comply with such a notice is an offence.

Disinfection

6.  Disinfection under these Regulations shall be carried out with a disinfectant which is—

(a)approved under the Diseases of Animals (Approval of Disinfectants) Order (Northern Ireland) 2008 (3); and

(b)used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or recommendations (if any) and in particular, if use is recommended before any date, used before that date.

Application

7.—(1) These Regulations shall not apply to—

(a)anything done under the terms of a licence granted under the Specified Animal Pathogens Order (Northern Ireland) 2008(4),

(b)any border inspection post, quarantine centre or quarantine facility approved under the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(5),

(2) Parts III and IV of these Regulations do not apply in any period during which action is being taken under the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(6).