BTO Advice on Foot & Mouth Disease

You will have heard of the latest Foot & Mouth outbreak to hit this country. Like everyone else, we are paying close attention to developments and will endeavour to keep you informed of any restrictions that might affect surveying

The current outbreak is restricted to one infected area (split into three sites near grid reference SU9351) in west Surrey. There is a 3km Protection Zone around these sites and a 10km Surveillance Zone, which extends into north-east Hampshire
(see map http://www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/pdf/declaration-pzszrz0807.pdf). Access to the countryside and in particular to footpaths, has been restricted within the Protection Zones but as of August 8th they remain open within the Surveillance Zone.

Outside of this area, there are no new restrictions on general countryside access or closures of rights of way, and Defra state that "There is a clear principle that there should be a presumption in favour of maintaining public access". So there is no reason to suppose that bird (or butterfly) surveys will be affected to the same degree as in 2001. However, if you are undertaking fieldwork on farmland, or any area with stock, it may be appropriate to talk to the landowner about your fieldwork and any biosecurity measures that they might feel are appropriate. This could include parking your vehicle outside the farm or stocked area and disinfecting your footwear before and after each visit.

More useful information and advice can be found on the Defra website at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/

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