ANIMALNET OCTOBER 14, 1998 Holstein Industry Hurt By Fraud Case Cattle Drown In Rainstorm Disease Jumps To Cattle Cattle TB Test Improved Ottawa Eyes Help For Quebec Flocks USDA Has Designs for Baltimore Harbor's "Spoil-to-Soil" Recycling Lobsters Dying Off The Coast Of Maine Grants To Clean Up Streams Lethbridge County Levies New Tax On Areas Agricultural Businesses Pilchard Deaths - Australia (South Australia) BSE - Switzerland (02) Conference Hears Animals Have Better Diet Portugal Vows To Control Mad Cow Disease Bid To Protect Fish Welcomed AnimalNet is produced by researchers at the Agri-Food Risk Management and Communication Project at the University of Guelph, is edited by Wendy Powell (dpowell@uoguelph.ca) and Amanda Whitfield (awhitfie@uoguelph.ca), and is supported by the Ontario Cattlemen's Association, the U.S. National Pork Producers, U.S. National Food Processors Association, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), the U.S. National Cattlemens Beef Association, Canadian Animal Health Institute, The Rutgers University Food Safety Extension Program, National Cattlemans Beef Association, Food Indsutry Environmental Network, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program). archived at: http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/ansc481/animal_net.html HOLSTEIN INDUSTRY HURT BY FRAUD CASE Oct. 13/98 The Kitchener-Waterloo Record E1 Jim Romahn The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have, according to this story, laid charges of fraud and forgery against a prominent Holstein breeder from the London, Ont., area. The case strikes at the income of hundreds of local dairy farmers who make profits both from milk and from top-quality Holstein heifers they sell to buyers across North America and around the world. There is a third concern, the sale of semen from Canadas Holstein bulls. Its a multi-million-dollar business, conducted from Semex Alliance headquarters in Guelph. Revenues go back to the Canadian dairy industry in the form of advanced genetics. Other countries and companies are competing for those export markets. RCMP Const. Mike Keegan was cited as saying that the pedigrees for 351 purebred Holstein females were found to be frauds or forgeries. Keith Flaman, general manager at Holsteins Canada headquarters at Brantford, was cited as saying that the problems were identified by his staff members, who turned their records over to police. Its by far the biggest and worst case of fraud the Canadian Holstein industry has ever faced. Flaman was further cited as saying that most were at the lower end of the price and quality scale because the perpetrator felt it would be easier to get away with cheating. Keegan was cited as saying that some of the pedigrees had the wrong sire listed. A better-quality bull was substituted for the real father, making a difference of a few hundred dollars to the value of the offspring. In other cases, it was the dam (mother) whose identity was falsified. But the really big problem is, according to this story, that one of these bull calves looked so good a Mexican breeder bought him as a sire. Had he gone into production at an artificial insemination unit, he could have sired thousands, and perhaps tens of thousands, of offspring. Its likely Crown prosecutors will strike a deal with the defence lawyer, so the whole case could end in minutes when Murton Shore, 58, appears in provincial court in London on Nov. 16. But it will, according to this story, take years to repair the damage done in Holstein herds around the world, and to rebuild the Canadian Holstein industrys reputation. CATTLE DROWN IN RAINSTORM Oct. 13/98 CP Wire BARTON, N.S. -- At least five head of cattle have, according to this story, drowned following some wild rainstorms in southwestern Nova Scotia. Some cattle were still trapped late Tuesday by water on high ground in a marsh area. Farmers are being forced to carry hay to them by boat. More than 12 cm of rain fell Sunday in a short time along St. Marys Bay. The storms also left some roads under 1.2 metres of water. Six farmers in the area utilize the marsh land for grazing their cattle. Farmers have pressing Nova Scotias Agriculture Department to increase the size of drainage pipes to prevent flooding. DISEASE JUMPS TO CATTLE Oct. 15/98 Western Producer Alan Harman Freelance writer CANBERRA, Australia -- It was reported that Ovine Johnes Disease has jumped from sheep and goats and has been found for the first time in Australian cattle. Researchers at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute outside Sydney found OJD in stored cattle tissues from three New South Wales farms located in the central tablelands where the OJD outbreak is centred. The three cases occurred between 1989 and 1995. Until now it was thought that OJD in Australia was confined to sheep and goats while Bovine Johnes Disease was found only in cattle, goats and alpacas. This story explained that Johnes (pronounced Yo nees) is a chronic wasting disease in cattle, sheep and other ruminants. It is not a high profile disease, but one American estimate put the cost of the disease to North America's cattle industry at more than $1 billion annually in lost productivity, death and reduced reproductive performance. In mid 1996, Australia decided to design a market assurance program for cattle and sheep to identify herds with a low risk of infection. OJD is not clinically apparent in the vast majority of infected sheep. It causes weight loss and some infected sheep die. Evidence from overseas had raised the possibility of cross-infection. There are strong host preferences for OJD and BJD but they are not total rhinoceros and antelope are known to have picked up the cattle strain. There are also accounts of occasional cross-infection between sheep and cattle in other countries. David Kennedy, the Australian animal health committees national Johnes Disease program co-ordinator, was cited as saying that we know there isn't a strict species host association. Because of this and its implications for OJD management, Kennedy was cited as saying that a study of cross-infection began in 1996. The development of the new DNA testing procedure saw the researchers go back to three Johnes Disease cattle cases that they had been unable to culture as BJD. Their suspicions were aroused because OJD had been notoriously difficult to culture in the past. When researchers tested the tissue with the new DNA system they found the OJD organisms. One theory is that OJD was contracted by cattle when they were calves and came in contact with disease-infected sheep. CATTLE TB TEST IMPROVED Oct. 15/98 Western Producer CANBERRA, Australia -- A new test that detects cattle tuberculosis bacteria within three days has, according to this story, been developed in the United Statesa major improvement over current methods that can take up to three months. Mycobacterium bovis, the culprit in cattle tuberculosis, is similar to two other bacteria, M. avium and M. paratuberculosis. The inability to distinguish among the three has been a problem in eliminating the disease. The test, developed by U.S. agriculture research service veterinarian Janice Miller in Ames, Iowa, allows researchers to quickly tell which organism has infected an animal. This story explained that the test uses polymerase chain reaction, a technique that makes many copies of certain genetic material found only in M. bovis. Making many copies of the targeted DNA allows easy identification of M. bovis, which couldn't be seen before PCR amplification. Extensive tests in other laboratories have proven this piece of DNA isnt present in M. avium or M. paratuberculosis. Researchers recently developed tests using the same technology to identify both of these organisms. Miller and others in Ames validated the PCR test by examining 99 known cases of TB in cattle and elk. In 93 percent of the cases, they could make an accurate diagnosis within two to three days after receiving the tissue samples. OTTAWA EYES HELP FOR QUEBEC FLOCKS Sept. 29/98 Ontario Farmer Canadian Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief was cited as saying that he has written to his Quebec counterpart to try to devise financial help for the provinces sheep farmers; whose flocks are diseased, but has received no reply, the Montreal Gazene reports. Since last fall, 11,000 Quebec sheep, either infected with scrapie or suspected of being prone to the fatal disease, have been slaughtered in an attempt to control it, Bloc Quebecois MP Helene Alarie was cited as telling the House of Commons. Vanclief was quoted as saying that Ottawa has directed $200 million to Quebec over the past three years that has been used for farm price-support programs rather than income support. He wrote to Quebec ag minister Guy Julien seeking a solution to the drastic fall in income suffered by Quebec farmers. USDA HAS DESIGNS FOR BALTIMORE HARBOR'S "SPOIL-TO-SOIL" RECYCLING October 14, 1998 USDA - ARS News Service News Release BELTSVILLE, Md. -- Poultry litter might be just the rich organic material the Maryland Port Authority needs to help turn harbor dredge spoils into a first-class soil substitute for land reclamation and other uses, says a U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist. The Port Authority, through the Maryland Environmental Services Department, has signed an agreement with USDA's Agricultural Research Service to find new ways to recycle the 5 million cubic yards of dredge spoils removed each year from the Port of Baltimore and its estuarine tributaries. "Dredge spoils have a head start on becoming soil substitutes," said microbiologist Patricia Millner in Beltsville, Md. "That's because the material originated as soil eroded from the land and deposited on lake, ocean, bay and river bottoms." "But, over the years," Millner adds, "organic matter in this sediment is washed out." Millner heads the research team at ARS' Soil Microbial Systems Research Laboratory. The scientists are considering poultry litter as a potential ingredient in the soil substitute recipe. Maryland produces an estimated 339,000 tons of poultry litter a year. The spoils have two other problems besides lacking organic matter. "They pick up salt from seawater that enters the estuaries. And the spoils become highly acid when removed from the water and exposed to air," Millner said. To counteract the salinity, she said, scientists at the Beltsville lab will search for ways to leach out the salts so the spoils can be applied to land. To reduce the acidity, they will test gypsum, calcium-rich ash from electric power plants, and residues from concrete and lime manufacturing. "This would help Maryland turn another potential environmental problem into a valuable resource," Millner said. The University of Maryland's Wye Institute will field-test recommendations expected to emerge from the spoil-to-soil experiments in the next two or three years. LOBSTERS DYING OFF THE COAST OF MAINE Oct. 14/98 The Moncton Times and Transcript A6 According to the article, scientists are trying to figure out why high numbers of lobsters are dying off the coast of Maine. Some fishermen were cited as saying that they are hauling in as many as a dozen dead lobsters a day and others report finding some lobsters listless and sick. Scientists at the University of Maine's lobster institute have found bacteria in the blood of the dead shellfish. But institute director Robert Bayer was cited as saying that it isn't clear whether the bacteria is caused by an illness or something else. Researchers have seen the same bacteria before, but never to the degree it has been observed in recent months. This story explained that it is unusual to find diseased lobsters because they are hearty and able to fend off illnesses. Tissue and blood samples of the sick crustaceans have been sent to researchers at the universities of New Hampshire and Arizona, who are looking for signs of a virus or a disease-causing agent. The high death rates began to occur last fall and winter. The death rates declined in the spring, but returned in the late summer when lobster pounds were being restocked. Lobsters in close confinement appear to be at greatest risk. The outbreak has prompted the state to set up a lobster health hotline. GRANTS TO CLEAN UP STREAMS Oct. 14/98 The Toronto Star B2 Grants of up to $10,000 are, according to this story, being offered to rural landowners by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to help improve stream water on their properties. Types of projects include septic systems repairs, restricting livestock access to streams and farm manure management. Money is also available for planting trees and erosion control. Anne Marie Weselan, a water quality specialist for the authority, was cited as saying that ecological degradation of rural streams in the GTA is a significant concern. LETHBRIDGE COUNTY LEVIES NEW TAX ON AREAS AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES CALGARY BUREAU Oct. 15/98 Western Producer The County of Lethbridge has, according to this story, passed a bylaw that levies a business tax on agriculture. County councillor Eugene Wauters was cited as saying that the tax is the first of its kind in the province and is aimed at the intensive livestock industry. Details have not been finalized but it is expected feedlot operators will feel the first effects of the tax with the passage of the county budget early next year. Feedlots in the county have traditionally paid less tax than acreage owners and grain farms. Assessment figures show 160-acre grain farms paid nine times more tax than a feedlot located on the same sized acreage. An average acreage with a modest home and improvements pays slightly more than $2,000 a year in taxes. Some of the feedlots pay less than that and they have a yearly capacity of 75,000 head, Wauters was cited as saying. The county has long argued it needs the extra money to cope with damage to roads caused by heavy truck traffic hauling animals and feed. It will be based on the storage capacity and the rate will be set accordingly. We have some very large livestock feeding operations in the county of Lethbridge. If you have a 75,000 head feedlot and you put a 50 cent a head tax on them, thats substantial money. INDUSTRY IS HUMANE Oct. 13/98 The Kitchener-Waterloo Record A6 Norman Luba In this letter to the editor from Norman Luba of Louisville, KY he writes: The Sept. 21 story, Activists Rescue Unwanted Foals From Slaughter, inaccurately portrayed the PMU (pregnant mares urine) industry by putting forward the same tired, false claims animal activists have, according to this letter, spewed for years now. PMU ranches have been inspected by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), the Canadian Equestrian Federation, the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH), the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture in Manitoba. The experts have found PMU horses are well-cared for and that ranchers work very hard to ensure the health and welfare of their horses. In a recent report, veterinarians from the AAEP, CVMA, and the ILPH, was quoted as stating, "The use of PMU horses to produce a commodity for the benefit of mankind is responsible and justified, as long as the horses receive the type of humane care observed on these farms. Based on our inspections, the allegations of inhumane treatment of horses involved in PMU ranching are unfounded. " Luba hopes that the readers will make valid judgments regarding this unique segment of the equine industry based upon facts and not inaccurate allegations. PILCHARD DEATHS - AUSTRALIA (SOUTH AUSTRALIA) October 13, 1998 ProMED Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 15:00:38 -0500 Source: The Advertiser, Adelaide, South Australia 14oct98, edited Via: Martin Hugh-Jones Fisheries officials have started an investigation to discover what is killing thousands of tonnes of pilchards along the South Australian coast. Fisheries SA was swamped yesterday with calls from the public reporting dead pilchards along Adelaide beaches, from Christies Beach to Victor Harbor and north of Whyalla. The new deaths come about a week after about 40 tonnes of dead pilchards were found in Spencer Gulf. Fisheries SA used a spotter plane along much of the suburban coast and around Eyre Peninsula yesterday in an attempt to quantify the number of fish killed. Fisheries SA's director, Dr Gary Morgan, said that while the deaths so far were few compared with the pilchard deaths of 1995-96, the situation was being monitored "very closely". He said the possibility was increasing that a virus was killing the fish - and not an "upwelling" of cold water from the Southern Ocean. "These deaths do not completely discount the upwelling theory but we are now more concerned that it is a virus," he said. "This is a much smaller event than in 1995-96, but the deaths yesterday along the southern beaches means it is more widespread than last week." Tests being carried out in Victoria on dead pilchards sent last week are expected to be completed by the end of this week. BSE - SWITZERLAND (02) October 13, 1998 ProMED In June Swiss scientists using immunological and immuno-histochemical tests for the BSE prion found 8 cases of BSE infection among 1761 apparently healthy herd mates of Swiss cattle which had developed BSE (a prevalence of 4.5/1000). It was then decided to test for the prion in 3000 healthy cattle over the age of 30 months being slaughtered at abattoirs for human consumption. In late September one infected cow was found, a four-year-old sent for slaughter because her milk output had fallen due apparently to mastitis. This is the first time BSE infection has been detected in a cow that would otherwise have been eaten, in time to take it out of the food chain. All 3,000 have now been tested with the fast Western blot developed by the Zurich-based firm Prionics. Of those 2,200 have also been tested using slower immuno-histochemical methods. All the results so far agree, including the one positive result. One possible reason for the good agreement between tests (in the previous study different tests agreed on only 4 of the 8 positives) is that this time, brains were divided into hemispheres and each was sent for one test or the other. Prion distribution seems to be laterally symmetric, so this reduced sampling error. The apparent prevalence of 1/3,000 is less than the 1/1,000 infected cattle in apparently healthy herds in Switzerland calculated by Doherr and colleagues, based on observed clinical incidence and estimated Incubation time of the disease. The discovery of only one case does not allow the empirical calculation of a clinically significant rate. But if the prevalence is 1/3,000, some 50 infected cattle over the age of 30 months are being eaten per year in Switzerland. The results of the Prionics test were available within 24 hours, which allowed the infected carcass to be destroyed before it was sold for meat. Swiss authorities are now considering whether to mandate testing of all cattle at slaughter. There are fears that too many false positives would make this prohibitively expensive, as for each case detected the entire herd would have to be destroyed. Prionics points out that of the 3000 tests in the current series, 2999 were negative, indicating that while there might be false negatives, the rate of false positives is not substantial. Professor Picoux pointed out [ProMed 6 October] that the cow found in the current series may not have been strictly subclinical, as she had displayed behavioural changes which were put down, possibly erroneously, to pain from mastitis. The early symptoms of BSE are notoriously difficult to distinguish from other syndromes with neural involvement. This cow possibly exemplifies the reason for much under- reporting of BSE on the Continent: older cattle with falling milk output or odd symptoms are simply sent for slaughter. Some of those could have been developing BSE, but are killed before they get a chance to develop clear symptoms. The European Commission wants all EU countries to test cattle in abattoirs for such hidden infection. It is to be remembered that the levels of BSE infection expected on the Continent simply on the basis of British cattle exports, to say nothing of the continued feeding of meat and bone meal of questionable hygiene to livestock, are well in excess of what has been reported. That, incidents such as the recent surge of cases in Portugal, and the continuing, and to many people implausible, apparent absence of BSE in Germany, suggest substantial under-reporting. The implications of the Swiss result for Britain, which has had the most BSE, are complex. Only cattle aged 30 months or younger are eaten in Britain, on the assumption, based on feeding trials, that cattle of that age, even if they were infected as calves, have not yet accumulated enough prions to be infectious. But the youngest cow to develop BSE on record in Britain was 20 months old, showing some are fast incubators. Models predict that 200-300 cattle under 30 months per year are infected with BSE and enter the food chain currently in Britain. Of these 3-5 could be fast incubators and carrying detectable quantities of prion. If one were to test cattle routinely at abattoirs in Britain, it is possible that only those 3-5 would be detectable, and thus could be kept out of the food chain. So routine testing may not be cost-effective. On the other hand, these predictions are based entirely on modelling. Some think that at least a study similar to the Swiss one should be carried out in Britain to actually measure the extent of infection, especially if there is a subclinical strain that is not reflected in models based on clinical incidence. The Swiss data do not shed light on infection before 30 months. They did not test younger cattle as relatively few of them would be expected to have accumulated enough prion to be detectable, so a much larger sample size than the government was prepared to pay for initially would have been required to detect at least one case. The 30-month cut-off was also practical (perhaps one reason it was chosen as the limiting age in Britain) as because of dental development, the head of a cow 30 months or older can be readily distinguished from a younger one at the abattoir. Whether or not screening cattle in abattoirs can make meat safe is debated. It is claimed by some, disputed by others, that infected cattle which have not yet accumulated detectable quantities of prion are not infectious. So animals that test negative are safe to eat whether infected or not. The few private Swiss butchers now using the Prionics test to screen beef before it is marketed advertise their wares as BSE tested, not BSE free. The efficacy of screening at preventing the transmission of infection to people also ultimately depends on whether detectable levels of prion in brain occur at the same time as potentially infectious levels in muscle. That is not known. CONFERENCE HEARS ANIMALS HAVE BETTER DIET October 14, 1998 AAP Melissa Langerman MELBOURNE -- Animals in the developed world had, according to this story, a better diet than humans, the 45th World Food Production conference heard today. The three day conference, which ends today, has primarily focused on the need to triple crop yield on existing agricultural land in the next 40 years to feed the growing world population. But American Feed Industry Association president, David Bossman, was cited as emphasising today that the future would also see a growing demand for animal protein from meat, milk and eggs, as consumers became for affluent and more demanding. He stressed the importance of increased crop yields to provide animal fodder in the future as well as technological advances which improved feed by including antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, enzymes and pesticides in fodder. Mr Bossman was quoted telling the conference,"In fact animals in the developed world have a better and more scientifically formulated diet than we humans do. Nutritionists formulate for animal species, breed or genetics, weight, sex and environment. I am sure that our burgers or kidney pies are the same probably our whole life." Mr Bossman dismissed allegations that high animal production was wasteful because land could be better used for crops, adding, "We have all heard the rants and raves of the environmentalists that we are wasting the earth's resources on animal protein when we could be feeding more people with food made from plants. But the facts just do not support that theory. Animal proteins are the most efficient and the most nutritious sources of many of the nutrients our bodies need." Animal production also utilised protein sources which could not be eaten by humans, which would otherwise be lost, converting them into a high protein edible form, he said. Dr Paul Fixen of the US Potash and Phosphate Institute today was cited as saying that demand for fertilisers would increase as new technologies allowed farmers to increase their yields. Site specific technologies to assess soil deficiencies, yields, and allow variable rates of inputs would not allow farmers to more effectively utilise fertilisers and increase crop production. But the effective use of minerals like nitrogen and potassium would also reduce the amount unused by crops which would leach to ground water. Dr Fixen was quoted as saying, "The contribution to yield made by site-specific technologies also increases the opportunity to take marginal or especially vulnerable land out of production," adding that the industry should not promise more than technology could deliver when it came to reducing the effects of agricultural input. "No amount of technology or management will prevent uncontrollable mineralisation of the thousands of kilograms of organic nitrogen contained in the deep dark prairie soils of the Mid-west. They will always leak nitrate. We must be careful not to over promise." EATING WELL; SUCCESS FOR NEW U.S. STANDARDS ON MEAT AND POULTRY October 14, 1998 The New York Times MARIAN BURROS The federal government's new system for reducing contamination in meat and poultry appears, according to this story, to be having positive results. Two weeks ago, the Agriculture Department announced that the system has almost cut in half the number of broiler chickens contaminated with salmonella in the plants where it is in use. It has also greatly reduced the amount of salmonella-infected pork. The system, called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, and also known as Haacp (pronounced HASS-ip), became mandatory in January at the largest meat and poultry processing plants (like Perdue's and Tyson's). By the year 2000, the standards will include smaller plants as well. Under Haacp, plants must identify critical points in the production process where contamination is likely to occur and implement plans to prevent the contamination. This story explained that the system, with its routine testing for various bacteria, marks the first time the federal government has set microbial standards and required industry and government testing on such a large scale. It is a definite step up from the old sniff-and-poke method. There are many ways for producers to reduce the levels of contamination to meet the system's standards. Scientific study has increased in the wake of highly publicized outbreaks of food-borne illness as well as huge and costly recalls of tainted food, especially ground beef. Critics were cited as saying that the meat and poultry industries resisted change. It was easier and cheaper to tell consumers it was their fault if they got sick from eating tainted beef or chicken because they had mishandled it. The industry realized that sales of its products were affected by these incidents. Some of the ideas for safer food are, according to this story, so simple you wonder why no one ever thought of them before. More humane handling of cattle, for example, reduces stress and thereby reduces shedding of deadly E. coli 0157:H7. When the cattle are stressed, the E. coli are released from their intestinal tract and are excreted in their manure. And just last month, scientists at Cornell University discovered that if cattle were switched from a diet of grain to a diet of hay or fresh grass for five days before slaughter, E. coli 0157:H7 is virtually eliminated. But the new ideas can reduce the level of risk. Some of them, like inoculating animals with "good" bacteria to crowd out the dangerous bacteria, have already won federal approval; others are still in the development stage. No matter what improvements are made to reduce the levels of harmful bacteria in the food supply, everyone still needs to be careful at home and follow the recommendations for safe handling. PORTUGAL VOWS TO CONTROL MAD COW DISEASE October 14, 1998 Reuters BRUSSELS -- Portuguese Farm Minister Luis Capoulas Santos was cited as saying on Wednesday that Portugal had taken measures to fight a recent outbreak of mad cow disease, but was tight-lipped on details or whether they would avert an EU export ban. A Commission spokesman was cited as saying that European Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler will report to the European Commission next week on the measures required to prevent the spread of mad cow disease or BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in Portugal. Capoulas Santos was quoted after a meeting in Brussels with Fischler, telling reporters, "We had a very constructive meeting during which I had the oportunity to stress our arguments. I'm confident the measures will guarantee the protection of consumers both in Portugal and abroad," adding that Portugal was determined to combat mad cow disease but played down a new outbreak saying the situation was no worse than in other European Union countries, particularly Britain. "There have been 1,300 new cases in Britain against 59 or 60 in Portugal at the end of September." Portugal is, according to this story, a minor beef producer and consumes most of its output, exporting less than 10 percent to neighbouring Spain and to former colony Angola. In 1997 it had 1.3 million head of cattle compared with 11.6 million in Britain and 5.4 million in Spain, according to Portuguese officials in Brussels. Portuguese sources were cited as saying that the new measures would likely include the removal of all suspect animal feed and tougher sanctions on farmers found feeding it to cattle. Spain has already banned imports of Portuguese beef. BID TO PROTECT FISH WELCOMED October 14, 1998 PA News Suzanna Chambers Environmental groups today were cited as welcoming plans to introduce new measures aimed at protecting native fish from the threats of exotic species. The guidelines, which come into force next month, will make it illegal for non-native species - such as catfish and the small poisonous snake the asp - to be kept or released in any waters in England and Wales without a licence. The measures are being introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to protect British favourites like salmon, sea trout and pike. And the rules will apply to all inland waterways across England and Wales, including distributors' and dealers' premises. An Environment Agency spokeswoman was quoted as saying, "We definitely welcome the measures. They will provide an important new tool for us to help protect our native flora and fauna from the threats of exotic species." Justin Taberham, operations manager at the Inland Waterways Association, was cited as saying that the new measures were a "positive" step forward, adding, "There are a number of non-native fish spreading through the system. Some, like the American fish species bass are no great shakes, but a number will have caused problems." Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley was cited as saying that there was strong evidence that existing controls were not entirely successful in preventing the unauthorised spread of non-native species. Until now, it has been impossible to prosecute anyone unless they were actually caught releasing them. But from next month, the onus will be on anyone who is handling non-native fish species to provide a licence. Mr Morley was quoted as saying, "We have not adopted a draconian approach to this problem. We have consulted widely on these proposals and have carefully considered the points made to us." The new guidelines will authorise the keeping of grass carp, sturgeon/sterlet and some species of catfish in garden ponds and indoor aquaria other than on retail or wholesale premises. The general licence for catfish will apply for five years before it is reviewed. In all other cases individual licences will be needed. To subscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: subscribe animalnet-L firstname lastname i.e. subscribe animalnet -L Doug Powell To unsubscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: signoff animalnet-L For more information about the AnimalNet research program, please contact: Dr. Douglas Powell dept. of plant agriculture University of Guelph Guelph, Ont. N1G 2W1 tel: 519-824-4120 x2506 fax: 519-763-8933 dpowell@uoguelph.ca archived at: http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/ansc481/animal_net.html