Farmer convicted of selling TB-infected livestock

Waiuku farmer convicted of selling TB-infected livestock

The Animal Health Board (AHB) has successfully prosecuted a Waiuku farmer for the illegal sale of cattle from a bovine tuberculosis (TB) infected herd.

Geoffrey William Muir pleaded guilty at the Pukekohe District Court today to moving and selling cattle in breach of a restricted place notice imposed by the AHB in June 2008.

Muir was fined $30,000 and $140 court costs. The AHB was awarded $10,454 in costs and $2,500 in legal costs.

Muir was convicted on four charges of failing to notify the movement of an infected herd, making a false and misleading declaration, moving cattle to a third party’s farm and knowingly selling 157 cattle from a herd that was suspected of harbouring TB.

AHB chief executive William McCook said the prosecution showed the AHB would take action against farmers who fail to abide by livestock movement regulations.

“It is clearly unacceptable that one man put his fellow farmers at risk for his own pecuniary gain. Selling cattle from a herd that is suspected or known to harbour bovine TB could have serious consequences for the national TB control programme.

“We know a vast majority of the 73,000 cattle and deer farmers in New Zealand willingly comply with movement control restrictions and expect us to come down hard on those farmers who do not.

“This conviction sends a clear message to the farming community that the AHB will vigorously enforce the rules around the movement and sale of infected herds.

“This complements the other methods we use to control the spread of TB such as monitoring compliance by checking animal identification and status declarations at sale yards and shows.

“We also audit animal movements out of movement control areas, investigate overdue TB tests, act on complaints and, as with the Muir case, take action through the courts when necessary,” Mr McCook said.

When a cattle or deer herd is diagnosed with bovine TB through a skin or blood test it becomes subject to strict movement controls until at least two further tests show no evidence of the disease in the herd.

ENDS