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UK urged to end cattle slaughter

Sheep
Slaughter or vaccination battle is gathering momentum  

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Pressure is mounting on the UK government to introduce a vaccination programme to tackle the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

Animal rights campaigners plan to hand in a giant letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair demanding an end to the mass slaughter policy.

And a coalition of influential groups and charities accused the National Farmers' Union (NFU) of "letting down" its members by refusing to cooperate with proposals to inoculate cattle in the worst-affected areas.

The government has made it clear it wants to introduce a vaccination programme, initially of 180,000 cattle in Cumbria, as part of the battle to contain foot-and-mouth.

It has also indicated it will not undertake such a scheme until it has the backing of at least 60 percent of farmers.

Actress Joanna Lumley, star of the television comedy Absolutely Fabulous, was due to join singer Lynsey De Paul in a protest at the prime minister's Downing Street residence.

Lumley, a patron of Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), is leading the group in submitting the giant letter.

Joyce D'Silva, director of CIWF, said: "Thousands of healthy animals are being slaughtered needlessly and in many instances inhumanely while the government bows to pressure from farmers not to vaccinate.

"Government cannot ignore its own laws on prevention of cruelty."

The Soil Association, Friends of the Earth, the National Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds have united in a campaign to break the NFU's stranglehold over the vaccination issue.

The Soil Association accused the NFU of putting economic considerations ahead of disease control.

They claimed it was more interested in farmers collecting generous subsidies than eradicating the disease, which has now affected more than 1,400 farms.

But many farmers fear that vaccination could actually prolong the outbreak. They say there would be no market for beef or milk from vaccinated animals and have asked the government for a cast-iron guarantees of compensation.

The NFU said: "We still oppose vaccination but agree it would not pose any human health issues."

Government ministers are insisting that outbreaks of the disease were slowing and the slaughter policy was working.

The government is anxious to counteract the devastating effect on tourism caused by images of burning animal carcasses being seen on news broadcasts around the world.

It has been hosting tourism representatives from Europe and the United States on a promotional tour of the country, and on Friday the Duke of Edinburgh took the unusual step of throwing a party for them at Windsor Castle.



RELATED STORIES:
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Foot-and-mouth blow for N. Ireland
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Virus: UK reconsiders vaccination
April 15, 2001
UK criticised over virus spread
April 13, 2001
UK says virus 'fully under control'
April 19, 2001

RELATED SITES:
UK Government
Foot-and-Mouth Disease

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