First BSE case in Finland, Estonia imposes ban
live cattle and beef from neighbouring Finland after tests on a
slaughtered Finnish cow suspected of having mad cow disease proved
positive.
Estonia said on Friday it imposed a five-year ban on imports of live cattle and beef from neighbouring Finland after tests on a slaughtered Finnish cow suspected of having mad cow disease proved positive.
"We received a quick confirmation from our Finnish colleagues today that the test for BSE conducted in Britain had proved positive," Ago Partel, the head of Estonia's veterinary and food inspectorate, told Reuters.
"In connection with that, as our legislation requires we have stopped all imports of cattle and beef products from Finland for five years by annulling all licences issued to import Finnish cattle and beef," he added.
Partel said that during this year Estonia had imported 10 tonnes of beef and 18 tonnes beef products from Finland. No live cattle was imported during the period.
"These imports make up quite a small part of Estonia's total beef imports," Partel said.
There have been no confirmed or suspected cases of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), in Estonia or neighbouring Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania.
In March, the Estonian government backed measures against the spread of BSE into the country by releasing $115,700 (130,029 euros) from state reserves for fast testing of risk group cattle.
The country closely monitors its 141 cattle remaining from livestock imported over the last eight years from areas affected with mad cow disease.
