Scottish Government

3. Objectives

The project objectives, as defined in the research specification, were threefold:

• To review the evidence base for effective sheep scab control in circumstances that might include combinations of different farming systems, geographical regions, sheep breeds, sections of the stratified sheep industry, markets and shows. Specific areas of investigation to include the role of risk factors such as common grazings and breed susceptibility in disease transmission, and the role of husbandry practices, biosecurity and chemical treatments in control. An assessment of regional differences in the above factors and in the presence and use of dipping facilities/use of contractors/use of injectables/biosecurity measures was also required;
• To investigate and define the options for sheep scab control in different scenarios of availability of chemical treatments over the next 10 years, including an analysis of the financial costs and benefits to farmers and to Local Authorities ( LAs) of implementing these controls;
• To investigate the attitude of farmers and LAs to various sheep scab control options, including prospects for new compulsory treatment legislation, in order to establish which options are most acceptable and likely to be adopted as practical and effective control methods.