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Animal By-Products Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

The Animal By-Products Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 came into operation on 3 December 2003 and provide the powers necessary to enforce the EU Animal By-Products Regulation No. 1774/2002 which lays down health rules concerning animal by-products, including fallen animals.  Routine on-farm burial or open burning of animal carcasses or parts of carcasses has been prohibited under the EU Regulation since 1 May 2003.  The carcases of animals that die on farm (including stillbirths) must only be disposed of by the following approved methods:
  • Disposal of carcases of bovine animals aged over 24 months and a selective sample of sheep aged over 18 months which have died or been killed on-farm to the free collection service operated by Lisburn Proteins on behalf of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) to facilitate transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) testing in line with the requirements of Commission Regulation 999/2001, as amended, and enforced in Northern Ireland by the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Regulations (NI) 2002, as amended.
  • Disposal of carcases of animals other than those detailed above by:
    • Rendering in approved premises
    • Complete incineration in an approved incineration plant; or
    • Treatment at an approved collection centre for feeding to dogs from recognised kennels, recognised packs of hounds, zoo or circus animals, use in an approved technical plant, or feeding to maggots for fishing bait, provided the requirements in relation to specified risk material in the TSE Regulations (NI) 2002 are observed.
The land spreading of blood, manure and digestive tract content is also controlled under the Regulations. They state that:
  • Blood may only be spread if it has been treated in accordance with the Regulation (i.e. in an approved rendering, composting or biogas plant) and is spread on non-pasture land.
  • Manure and digestive tract content may be spread providing DARD has not imposed any restrictions relating to animal health in relation to those by-products. Digestive tract content may only be spread on non-pasture land.
  • Non-pasture land is land that is not intended to be used for grazing or cropping for feedstuffs following the application of the material for the following periods- two months in the case of pigs, and three weeks in the case of other farmed animals.
For further information contact your local DARD Divisional Veterinary Office.
A copy of the TSE and Animal By-Products Regulations can be viewed on Her Majesty's Stationery Office[external site] website.