Government of Jersey

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A decision made (01.10.07) to introduce further measures to improve disease control in Jersey farm livestock.

Decision Reference: MD-PE-2007-0243
Decision Summary Title	Notifiable Disease: Protection and Traceability Measures		Date of Decision Summary:	26/09/07
Decision Summary Author:	Linda Lowseck		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title	Notifiable Disease: Protection and Traceability Measures		Date of Written Report:	26/09/07
Written Report Author:	Linda Lowseck		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Notifiable Animal Disease
Decision(s): Require keepers of sheep, goats and pigs to register with Department of Environment and identify animals and require keepers of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs to record and maintain movement records to strength control measures.
Reason(s) for Decision: To provide availability of identification and movement records to enable dissemination of information and tracing of farmed livestock.
Resource Implications: RJA&HS will be asked to provide database of keepers and allocate herd marks. It is anticipated this can be done within current budget for cattle identification and movement. Minimal resource implication for keepers to record livestock movements. Department of Environment Inspectors to carry out percentage checks on records and identification can be incorporated into work programme.
Action required: SVO to instruct Law Drafting Officer to produce an Order under the Diseases of Animal (Jersey) Law 1954 article 3 which gives the Minister power to make Orders for preventing the spread of disease.
Signature:		Position:
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Notifiable animal disease - protection and traceability measures

PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION

Notifiable Disease: Protection and Traceability Measures

(Public)

Purpose of the Report

Introduction of further measures to improve disease control in Jersey farm livestock, in accordance with Business Plan objective to control disease incursions, should they occur.

Background

A pre-requisite to effective control of notifiable disease is knowing the location, ownership and movements of susceptible species.

Discussion

Over 50 diseases which affect farmed livestock species, are internationally listed as notifiable. Some of these pose no risk to Jersey whereas the island livestock is currently at increased risk of others e.g. Bluetongue, with thousands of outbreaks in Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg and France. Additionally, Foot and Mouth Disease has been confirmed in England. In the event of notifiable disease confirmation, control measures may include tracing in-contact animals for culling or surveillance. Identification and movement records are an invaluable pre-requisite to enable accurate tracing.

Additionally, dissemination of information to keepers is an important part of controls.

In Jersey, there is a legal requirement for cattle keepers to register and permanently identify individual animals. There is no mechanism to identify keepers of sheep, goats and pigs or to identify animals. There is no legal requirement for owners of cattle, sheep, goats or pigs to record and maintain records of movements

Conclusion

Legal provision to implement these important disease control measures strengthen Jersey’s objective of maintaining high health status livestock.

Recommendation

Make an Order requiring keepers of sheep, goats and pigs to register with the Department of Environment and identify animals, and together with cattle keepers, require records of movements and deaths to be kept for a prescribed period as a necessary measure to allow efficient tracing

Written by:	[Linda Lowseck]

Approved by:	[Chris Newton, Director of Environment]

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Ministerial Decision ref: MD-PE-2007-0243

26 September 2007