It's to protect Island animals from 'goat plague'
People travelling to the Isle of Man from the European Union (EU) have been banned from importing certain sheep and goat commodities, such as meat, cheese and milk.
The strict controls, which also include postal imports, have been introduced to safeguard Manx animals from the highly contagious infection peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as ‘goat plague’.
In recent months, the virus has been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of sheep and goats in mainland Europe, but it does not affect people.
Restrictions are already in place that prevent the import of live sheep and goats from affected areas.
Dr Amy Beckett, the Isle of Man’s Chief Veterinary Officer, says “the measures are designed to prevent an outbreak in the Isle of Man, which could lead to animal suffering and be very damaging for our farming and livestock industry.
“Everyone can do their bit to help stop animal diseases spreading to this country, by simply not bringing any sheep or goat products back from a PPR affected country (currently Romania and Greece in the EU).
"Also if you are visiting EU/EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries not affected by PPR, you must not bring back sheep or goat products unless commercially produced and packaged to EU standards.”
Similar measures have also been introduced in England, Scotland and Wales.
Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture,Clare Barber MHK, says “the strict measures have been introduced to help limit the spread of the disease and will remain in place until PPR no longer presents a risk to Manx sheep and goat populations.”
You can find more information about the restrictions here.
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