Farmers send 'respect livelihoods' plea to TT fans
BBCFarmers have implored motorsport fans visiting the Isle of Man for the TT festival to "respect their livelihoods" amid warnings about foot and mouth disease (FMD).
The Manx National Farmers Union (MNFU) issued the plea due to a growing outbreak of the disease in Europe.
Earlier this year, restrictions were put in place on the island which ban the importation of meat and dairy products for personal use from anywhere outside of Great Britain.
MNFU secretary Sarah Comish said she was concerned both about the highly contagious nature of the disease and the fact that there will be "so many people travelling from Europe to the island" for the two-week festival.
FMD is a highly infectious virus that causes blisters inside an animal's mouth and under their hooves, and can cause lameness and problems feeding.
Ms Comish said that while the threat level "now seemed to be under control" it remained vital for travellers not to bring dairy and meat products to the Isle of Man.
She also asked TT spectators not to leave any food waste lying around.
Spectators often watch the racing from farmland, added Ms Comish, "so it is just about respecting the environment you are in".
'Huge impact'
An FMD outbreak would have a "huge impact" on livestock farmers, said Ms Comish, since the Isle of Man is "heavily dependent on export trade".
The TT festival was cancelled in 2001 following outbreaks of the disease in the UK.
This week saw the first seizure of meat and dairy products brought in from Europe.
Four kilograms of meat and 800g of cheese found in a campervan were confiscated by customs and immigration officers in Douglas.
The seizure could lead to a "significant fine" if the matter proceeds to court, the government said.
The recent discovery of bluetongue disease "right next door" in Lancashire has also "caused worry" in the Isle of Man's farming community, said Ms Comish.
Bluetongue disease can cause cattle to become infertile and even be fatal.
Since it is spread by midge bites, its spread is "more difficult to control", she added.
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