Thousands of farm animals in the Strandzha region are earmarked for destruction as a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth FMD in the region of Sredets was confirmed, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported on March 28 2011.

But the operation to cull the animals was being hampered by a protest organised by stock-breeders who gathered and blocked the road leading to Turkey, saying that they would not allow their animals to be destroyed and that they would let them roam free instead. They are also demanding that the Bulgarian Government step in to protect them.

Last week, Inspectors of Bulgaria's Food Safety Agency (BFSA) confirmed a new case of FMD contamination, with six out of seven blood samples from domestic animals testing positive in the village of Granichar in the municipality of Sredets, southeastern Bulgaria.

As many as 130 animals in the village are affected. The entire herd, owned by a private individual, will be destroyed.

According to veterinary experts, this new outbreak, as happened previously, crossed into Bulgaria from Turkey.

About 300 farmers from the Strandzha villages of Fakiya, Dolno Tabulkovo, Granichar and Momina Tsurkva have vowed that they are ready to fight for their livestock and will not allow the nearly 7000 animals to be killed.

"Ten days have passed and they (the authorities) cant take a decision on what to do, and by now all of Strandzha has been affected, and maybe all of Bulgaria" Petar Pumpalov, a farmer from Fakiya, told BNT.

"We should have rebuilt that fence (along the Turkish border) to stop wild animals crossing into Bulgaria, spreading the virus," Zhelyazko Zhelyazkov, a farmer from Goliamo Bukovo said.

Bulgarian farmers affected by this latest FMD onslaught are demanding that Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for international co-operation, humanitarian aid and crisis response, take immediate action in this case.

Meanwhile Bulgarian authorities are already imposing a quarantine in villages affected by the latest outbreak, as no animals are allowed in out of the perimeter.

For the first time in 12 years, a case of FMD was registered in the country in early 2011 after a wild boar crossed the border from Turkey near the Bulgarian village of Kosti. Veterinary authorities have so far registered five FMD cases, all in the Bourgas region.