UK outdoor industries association refutes foot and mouth disease allegation
The UK outdoor industry has responded angrily to reports that imply a link between the re-opening of footpaths and the resurgence of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the "Settle Rectangle". The Outdoor Industries Association (OIA), as the leading representative body for the outdoor trade, sets the record straight in a statement from its Director, Roger Southcott.
Said Southcott: "Across the country, green shoots of hope for the outdoor trade have been emerging as cases of Foot and Mouth drop off dramatically. The resurgence of FMD in the "Settle rectangle" is cause for great concern.
"The Outdoor Industries Association, together with other countryside and recreational bodies, has supported the Government (MAFF) line that has excluded huge areas of the countryside from walkers, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts. Recent media speculation claiming that footpaths have been prematurely re-opened for walkers is badly misinformed and poorly researched."
"Reports in the national press have MAFF officials admitting that FMD was present in sheep for weeks without being spotted and that the transmission of the disease is far more likely to have resulted form the transportation of livestock and the movement of agricultural personnel. The issue has been confused somewhat by MAFF’s use of the Data Protection Act, which has reinforced the ‘cover-up‘ that is in place concerning the breadth and impact of FMD."
"For some time now, outdoor enthusiasts have been following official advice and staying away from many areas of the countryside. Where there is access, walkers have been taking extra precautions to ensure that they do not risk spreading the disease. Where there is no access, there have been no walkers. We cannot stay quiet while the finger of blame is being pointed at them and it is vital that the walking community is not made a scapegoat on this issue."
