Dr Morely addressed more than 80 guests at BVA's 2022 Northern Ireland Dinner in Stormont.

BVA president voices animal welfare concerns amid post-Brexit regulation.

The president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has warned of a shortage of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland resulting from post-Brexit regulation.

Speaking at BVA's 2022 Northern Ireland Dinner in Stormont, Malcolm Morely said that ‘costly bureaucracy’ and ‘onerous regulation’ of veterinary medicine risks 'an animal welfare disaster' and threatens public health.

Under proposed new legislation, medicines entering Northern Ireland will be required to be batch tested by a marketing authorisation holder based in the country or the EU. The present "grace period," which delays the necessity for these requirements, expires at the end of the year, and BVA fears that around half of all veterinary medicines for various animals and livestock may be discontinued should the deadline pass without a workable solution. 

Looking ahead, the Association is worried that pharmaceutical companies will bypass Northern Ireland altogether owing to the uncertainty of procedures and the limited size of the market. It believes this would spell disaster for veterinary practices, clients, livestock and other animals who will ultimately suffer the consequences most acutely. 

Addressing more than 80 guests, including minister for agriculture, the environment and rural affairs Edwin Poots, Dr Morely outlined the threat of veterinary medicine shortages to public health and the economy. 

“This affects all sectors—farm, equine and pets. It is also not just an animal health issue but a public health issue, particularly if salmonella vaccines become unavailable to poultry vets. Such public health risks would also jeopardise access to markets outside Northern Ireland,” he said. 

“The situation is highly concerning…. there is an urgent and immediate need to find a resolution. I know we can put the politics to one side and seek practical solutions. After all, to fail risks an animal welfare disaster, devastating impacts on livestock productivity and disruption to food chains in Northern Ireland at a time when we can least afford it.”

He continued: “BVA’s Northern Ireland Branch President Fiona McFarland and her team have been working hard to set out for officials what the consequences of this loss of veterinary medicines would mean. They continue to work closely with our colleagues in farmers' unions, the National Office of Animal Health and others to find a way forward. 

“I believe a path forward can be found. We’ve seen that it’s possible to navigate the same issue for human medicines and adopting a similar approach for animals seems like a clear way forward. It was great to see UK and EU Commission negotiations restart last week. We need this issue to be top on their agenda.” 

During his speech, Dr Morely also discussed the current veterinary staff shortages in Northern Ireland, future agricultural policy, animal disease prevention, and BVA's ongoing lobbying of the UK government to see the Kept Animals Bill become law. 

In his closing remarks, he expressed gratitude to the BVA Northern Ireland Branch for its efforts and urged the audience to keep working together to identify and promote solutions to these urgent problems. 

Image (C) BVA.