Scrapie was first described some 200 years ago and is endemic at very low level in many countries with sheep populations. There have been no cases of humans contracting disease associated with scrapie, ever. Despite intensive investigation into neuronal diseases in the UK because of BSE, not a single case suggesting human infection of scrapie has ever been identified. Genetic selection of rams now available should be able to reduce this to effectively zero within a few years were it applied. Those countries free of scrapie are still free of scrapie despite potentially infected lambmeat having been imported for decades, and in some cases centuries.
Imports pose NO RISK to other flocks.
And even a pause for reflection on them. So it is quite clear that restriction on lambmeat cannot be due to any valid argument on health or of any other rational grounds. One might ask why they are even suggested. Well, I am sure everyone in this conference is well aware of the real reason why. It is being used by some countries as a political excuse to apply unfair trade restrictions in defiance of existing trade agreements.