PROPOSALS TO ban live exports of animals were unveiled by the UK Conservative party at its conference earlier this month – but there’s disquiet in the party’s Scottish camp.

It has sought to defend Scotland from such a move, which they say, could ‘decimate’ farming in the Northern Isles.

Launching the proposals, Defra Secretary, Theresa Villiers, said the proposal would ‘choke off’ the live export trade and protect animals by restricting journey times.

However, the minister’s comments prompted concern from Scottish Tory rural economy spokesman, Peter Chapman. He has written to Ms Villiers warning of the ‘harm’ a proposed ban on live animal exports could have on Scotland’s Northern Isles: “If, as you suggest, we ban live animal exports to Europe, our remote island communities potentially could be subject to the same restrictions, resulting in the decimation of an industry that goes back generations.

“Over the years we have developed a system of transporting live animals which is second-to-none and ensures the welfare of the animal on long-distance transportation from the Scottish Islands.”

There are no slaughterhouses in either Orkney and Shetland, meaning beef and sheep farmers have to ship animals to the mainland.

Orcadian farmer, Pete Moss, who runs a suckler beef enterprise and fattens cattle at Muckle Ocklester, before shipping them off the island for slaughter, said: “This is an issue close to my heart, as live shipment of animals is vital to the survival of livestock farming on the island but also to the whole of Scottish agriculture and its integrated supply chain.

“In Orkney, we are extremely proud of our shipping systems and a huge amount of effort has been put in to ensuring there is minimal stress on animals throughout the process.”

State-of-the-art aluminium containers for shipping stock off the island were brought in to in 2008, following a change in regulations to improve welfare for livestock in transit. Key features include hay racks for feed, water nozzles to provide water during voyage, and inspection lights to enable checks during the trip.

NFU Scotland’s regional policy adviser on Orkney, Kerry Omand, said: “Our farm, like every other in Orkney, is completely reliant and sustained in the knowledge that our stock can be safely shipped to the Scottish Mainland. Casting doubts around live animal transport, coupled with the continued closure of our abattoir, would leave little option for our farm and others and would challenge the future for our beef suckler herd and sheep.

“I would like to think that our transport infrastructure and the high welfare standards it meets could be used to lead the development and improvement of livestock shipping elsewhere,” she suggested.

As The SF went to press, NFUS representatives were due to meet with farming minister, George Eustice, on October 17 for a Brexit discussion and vice-president, Charlie Adam, said live exports would be on the agenda: “This is a subject I have raised regularly with Michael Gove in the past and more recently with his successor Ms Villiers, when she was up in Elgin a few weeks ago. At that meeting we invited the Secretary of State to come and see the ferry arrangements we have in place for the Northern Isles.

“It seems unreasonable and unworkable that at the same time as we are seeing local abattoirs disappearing, the UK government is saying that we need to take our livestock to the closest available abattoir.”

Defra were approached for a response but failed to comment.