Growth, Housing, Environment – Natural Environment
Amendments to the Animal Health (Jersey) Law 2016 and subordinate Orders.
Purpose of the Report
To comply with EU Directive in intra community trade in bovine animals and enable Jersey to export cattle to UK, EU Member States and Third Countries. To make four diseases notifiable to comply with various EU legislation and some minor amendments to the import controls for bovine semen from the rest of the British Islands.
Background
Brucellosis is a notifiable disease of cattle which causes major economic losses and is also zoonotic, causing Undulant Fever in man. It was commonly known as Contagious abortion and although this terminology is rarely used now, it is descriptive of the clinical manifestation in cattle.
The EU require member States to make certain diseases notifiable because some are zoonotic and most are of major economic importance and are needed to facilitate trade.
Rinderpest virus was a notifiable disease up until 2016 when it was removed. In 2017 Rinderpest virus was made a notifiable specified pathogen in the Animal Health (Jersey) Law 2016 when enacted. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) reports the world was officially free from Cattle Plague also known as Rinderpest infection in May 2011. The last outbreak in Great Britain was in 1877. For trade to the UK and EU the requirement to notify the Minister must be maintained.
Trichinellosis is a disease caused by the larvae of a small parasitic worm which can affect both animals and humans. People become infected by eating raw, undercooked or processed meat from pigs, wild boar, horses or game animals that contain the parasite.
Teschen disease was a notifiable disease up until 2016 when it was removed. In 2017 Teschen disease was made a notifiable specified pathogen in the Animal Health (Jersey) Law 2016 when it was enacted. It is a disease that affects pigs at all ages. The early clinical signs are; fever, loss of appetite, lack of energy and lack of coordination. Pigs may also grind their teeth. The disease affects pigs suddenly. It is often fatal, though mildly affected animals may survive.
Psittacosis/Ornithosis was a notifiable disease up until 2017 when it was removed. It is a disease of some classes of poultry and pet birds and causes respiratory disease in humans. It would need controlling in the event of an outbreak. It is necessary to be included as it required to be notifiable in EU legislation for the movement of zoo birds under the Balai Directive. For trade to the UK and EU the requirement to notify the Minister must be maintained.
To enable the States Veterinary Officer to control the import of semen from the other British Islands, and protect our high health status, it is necessary to reintroduce a licence requirement for bovine semen. Jersey is the only part of the British Islands to have EU official freedom for Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis. It would mean that in the case of a disease outbreak in the British Islands the Minister could withdraw or amend the licence to deal with any threat to our official freedom of diseases.
Discussion
The UK is recognised as Officially Brucellosis Free by the EU and the Government of Jersey has a program of testing in place to test all the island herds with the aim of gaining Official Brucellosis Freedom from the EU. One of the conditions of compliance is a statutory requirement to notify bovine abortion to the Minister, who has powers to investigate. The requirement to notify has not been present in Jersey legislation since 2017, therefore, the Minister could be vulnerable if this came to light when exports to the UK, EU and beyond take place.
The Government of Jersey need to make four diseases notifiable and ensure it has in place the correct mechanisms to regulate the import of semen from the British Islands so as to meet its obligations with the EU to permit trade off the island.
Conclusion
The Animal Health (Surveillance) (Jersey) Order 2017 should be amended to require the notification of abortion and early calving to ensure compliance with EU Directives on trade in bovine animals and to assist disease surveillance. The Animal Health (Jersey) Law 2016 should be amended to include the four diseases and necessary amendments made to the relevant animal health Orders. The Artificial Insemination of Domestic Animal (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Order 2008 should be amended to require bovine semen imports to be licenced by the Minister.
The proposed changes are proportionate and will allow by Order the necessary amendments to be made to affected legislation to ensure that controls and with that, export access, are maintained.
Recommendation
The addition to the Animal Health (Surveillance) (Jersey) Order 2017 of the requirement to notify abortion and early calving. The addition to the Animal health (Jersey) Law 2016 of the requirement to make four diseases notifiable and amend relevant animal health Orders to ensure controls are in place. The addition to the Artificial Insemination of Domestic Animal (Bovine Semen) (Jersey) Order 2008 of the requirement to require bovine semen imports to be licenced.
2 August 2019
Written by: | States Veterinary Assistant |
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Approved by: | Director – Natural Environment |
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Ministerial Decision Case: MD-PE-2019-0073
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