ANIMALNET JULY 22, 1999 Animal feed 47 exposed to Rabies Rabies vaccine to be dropped by planes to Raccoons Kansas beef co-op Ge - action alert against Xenotransplantation Court bid to throw out animal-rights lawsuit Hog-farm Research director position No quick fix for Avian Cellulitis Scotland may lead ban on Fox hunting before the British Cloning of extinct Huia bird approved Rodeo animal safety Migratory bird hunting; proposed frameworks for early- International cooperation on requirements veterinary products-impurities International cooperation on requirements veterinary products-impurities International cooperation on requirements veterinary products-premixes Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; Rio Grande Silvery Minnow AnimalNet is produced by researchers at the Agri-Food Risk Management and Communication Project at the University of Guelph, is edited by Wendy Powell (wpowell@uoguelph.ca) and Douglas Powell (dpowell@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), Canadian Animal Health Institute, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Meat & Livestock Australia, Canadian Pork Council, Ontario Farm Animal Council, the U.S. National Cattlemens Beef Association, the Rutgers University Food Safety Extension Program, Ag-West Biotech, Capital Health, the Ontario Soybean Growers Marketing Board, Food Indsutry Environmental Network, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors, Chicken Farmers of Canada, MDS Nordion, American Meat Institute, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program). archived at: http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/ansc481/animal_net.html ANIMAL FEED July 22/99 Reuters By Eric Onstad AMSTERDAMQEurope's animal feed industry is, according to this feature, fighting to head off another scandal after revelations that livestock rations have been tainted with impurities ranging from toxic chemicals to sewage. The discovery by Belgian officials in late May of high levels of cancer causing dioxins in animal feed sparked a food safety scare and jolted regulators into action. The European Commission was cited as saying this week it hoped to impose strict controls on animal feed production within six months, but the sector is scrambling to regain the initiative. Firms are, the story says, undertaking a hectic round-the-clock search for possible sources of other contaminants before they hit the headlines. Alexander Doering, secretary general of the European Feed Manufacturers Association (FEFAC), was quoted as saying, "Laboratories are now working 24 hours a day, seven days a week at full capacity. When you look at the number of substances involved, it's quite an intensive undertaking. This is something we are doing of our own initiative. We don't want to run into another dioxin problem if we can." The story says that the dioxin affair not only helped bring down the Belgian government and led to bans on European food exports, but turned the spotlight on an industry with sales of 35 billion euros ($36.74 billion) a year. The affair erupted just as the sector's tarnished image from BSE or "Mad Cow" disease affair was on the mend.. Both consumers and regulators are, the story adds, struggling to come to terms with a sophisticated industry that uses computers to put together feed formulations, but still has vestiges of the farming tradition of feeding animals waste materials. Amid the heightened publicity, reports have emerged about a wide range of seemingly bizarre materials being fed to livestock. Last month, the Irish government announced it was moving to to stop the carcasses of dogs destroyed by local authorities ending up in meat and bonemeal given to animals. The Department of Agriculture stressed there was no health concern, saying the feed would not have been given to sheep and cows, as meat and bonemeal feed was already banned from use for ruminants. Feeding waste materials, including uneaten food, to animals has a long tradition. Until the Mad Cow and dioxin crises, most consumers either weren't aware of or didn't think about what farmers shovel into their animals' feeding troughs. Doering was quoted as saying, "Animal products have been in use in animal feed for 100 years. It's nothing recent, nothing new, it's just that no one was ever interested in it." The sanitary collection and processing of dead animalsQ enshrined in law in most European countriesQwas, the story says, seen as a great leap forward when introduced many decades ago. Specially licensed firms produce sterilised bone meal and fat additives for animal feed from the remains. Hans van der Weyden, an official at the Dutch government's Product Board for Animal Feed, was quoted as saying, "No one knew what to do with it so animal feed was the perfect solution. It seemed that the animals grew very fast with it, so why not?" During the Mad Cow disease crisis when scientists discovered that the sickness was transferred via animal remains in feed, the European Union banned the practice for cows, sheep and goats, but not for chickens and pigs. In the latest scandal, fat from a Belgian animal rendering plant, probably contaminated with motor oil, was the source of dioxin tainted feed. EU officials were cited as saying this week European Commission plans to impose a total ban on the use of recycled fat in animal feed as part of its package of new regulations and member states want to phase out the use of animal waste by 2001. France has called for a total ban on animal products in feed. EU scientists are putting the finishing touches on the strict controls, which are due to be put before the Commission next month. Industry officials bristle at the suggestion that the use of waste products in animal feed is inherently unsanitary. They were outraged by a French government report that said residue from toilets, septic tanks and sludge from waste treatment factories often find their way into animal feed. Wijnand Wiegeraadt, secretary general of the Dutch compound feed trade association FOOM, was quoted as saying, "That's absolutely nonsense, as far as I know. From toilets and septic tanks, it's madness." Industry officials agree they need to take the lead in bolstering confidence in the purity of animal rations. Herman Heuver, secretary general of FMN, a Dutch trade industry group was quoted as saying, "We must give more guarantees, we must provide more proof to the consumer, to those partners in the food chain." Doering says the industry was already boosting quality control systems in the wake of the Mad Cow affair and the current exercise of analysing all raw materials should be completed in two to three months. He welcomed the recent decision of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to set up a task force for drafting a code of conduct on animal feed. Van der Weyden was cited as saying the stricter European regulations are likely to lead to more consolidation in the sector, adding, "Small producers will have difficulties in meeting all these demands, it will be too expensive. They will have to merge with other ones or just go out of business." ($1-.9527 Euro) A related factbox highlights what goes into feed, stating that commercial animal feed consists of a wide range of matter, from grains to crushed orange peel. Formulations vary depending on the type of animal, the time of year and the price of what is used. The story says that European feed companies use computers to determine the best combinations at the best prices. A separate product called pre-mix is a combination of essential minerals added to animal rations. This is a rough guide to the contents of commercial feed produced in northern Europe for cows, pigs and chickens. INGREDIENTS GRAINS - Corn, maize, wheat and barley. MEALS - Solids remaining when oil is extracted from oilseeds such as soybeans, sunflower seeds and rape seeds. SOYHULLS - Hulls from soybeans are a protein source. PALM/COPRA EXPELLERS - Meal from the production of palm oil. CORN GLUTEN - A protein rich by-product from the manufacture of corn sweetner. Main producer United States. CITRUS PULP - Pulp and skins remaining from the production of orange juice. They are crushed, dried and formed into pellets. Main producers Brazil and United States. BEET PULP - By-product from production of sugar from beets. TAPIOCA - Produced from the starchy root also known as manioc. Main producer Thailand. FEED PEAS - Dried peas. AMINO ACIDS - Laboratory produced amino acids such as lysine are sometimes added in small quantities as protein sources. ANIMAL FAT/BONEMEAL - Processed from dead animals. Protein rich bonemeal and animal fat has been banned from cattle feed after the Mad Cow disease crisis, but is still used in chicken and pig feed. Each are used at around two percent to seven percent of the total. CATTLE FEED Corn gluten, citrus pulp and palm expellers are major ingredients, each often consisting of up to a quarter of the total. Smaller proportions of grain, soyhulls and beet pulp. PIG FEED Tapioca often makes up to 30 percent of pig feed, with rapemeal and soymeal at 10-15 percent. Smaller percentages of wheat, feed peas, soy hulls, palm expellers, bonemeal and animal fat. CHICKEN FEED Grain is an important component, often making up 50 percent of feed for egg producing chickens and slightly less for chickens raised for meat. Soymeal can provide 20 percent of the total with smaller percentages of soy hulls, peas, corn gluten, animal fat and bonemeal. 47 EXPOSED TO RABIES July 21/99 UPI ALBANY, N.Y.QThis story explained that three baby raccoons taken from the wilderness and cared for in separate New York state homes have tested positive for rabies, forcing 47 people to undergo treatment. Health officials were cited as saying that a large number of people handled the raccoons during parties. The officials was cited as urging people to keep their pet vaccinations up-to-date, and avoid touching or handling any wild animal. Another 25 are undergoing rabies treatment because a cat with no history of vaccinations bit a neighbor. The officials from the State of New York Department of Health were cited as saying that there are over 90 New Yorkers receiving a month-long series of rabies shots right now. RABIES VACCINE TO BE DROPPED BY PLANES TO RACCOONS July 21, 1999 CP Wire KITCHENER, Ont. -- This story explained that the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources will soon be using an oral vaccine dropped by planes to fight raccoon rabies. The decision to go ahead with an aerial drop, likely by September, was made Wednesday. Rick Rosatte, a ministry research scientist was cited as saying that the ministry received approval to use the oral vaccine last week from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Rosatte was cited as saying that it was a sheer coincidence and ``perfect timing'' that the approval came around the same time as the first confirmed case of raccoon rabies from the United States was discovered near Prescott, between Brockville and Cornwall. The ministry plans to drop 25,000 waxy beef tallow vaccine-pellets, flavoured with vanilla and sugar. Most of the pellets will likely be dropped over the 300 square kilometres surrounding Prescott, where a rabid raccoon was found dead in a dog pen on July 12. The ministry was cited as wanting to contain this single case, otherwise the virus could spread to as many as 3,000 raccoons in a year at a cost of $8 million to $12 million for such things as lab testing and medical treatment for humans. In addition to the Prescott area, Rosatte was quoted as saying, ``if we get enough vaccine, we would place oral vaccine from Kingston to the Quebec border along the St. Lawrence River.'' The aerial drop will contain the same vaccine - vaccinia rabies glycoprotein - used in the U.S., where raccoon rabies has grown steadily since the 1940s from Florida through the eastern United States to the Canadian border. (Kitchener-Waterloo Record) KANSAS BEEF CO-OP July 21/99 Reuters By Barbara Hagenbaugh WASHINGTON - The U.S. Agriculture Department was cited as alleging on Wednesday that a Kansas beef cooperative broke federal rules when it stopped buying animals from a cattle feed yard that had brought the co-op negative publicity. The government was cited as charging Farmland National Beef Packing Co. of Liberal, Kansas, of violating the Packers and Stockyards Act after it allegedly stopped accepting bids from Callicrate Company Feed yard of St. Francis, Kansas. According to the complaint filed by the Agriculture Department, Callicrate's sales manager wrote an article for a livestock journal that was critical of Farmland. Farmland then stopped making bids on or purchases from Callicrate, the Agriculture Department was cited as saying. The government called the practice "unfair and possibly unjustly discriminatory." James Baker, head of the USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, was quoted as saying, "This case goes to the heart of the concerns that every small- and medium-sized producer has about possible retaliation, discrimination and denial of market access in the livestock industry." A Farmland spokeswoman was cited as saying that the cooperative did nothing wrong and that its bidding with Callicrate was consistent with company and industry-wide policy, adding, "We believe the allegations are unfounded and we intend to vigorously defend our position." Ranchers have repeatedly been cited as saying that intense concentration in the meat packing industry is hurting competition, lowering prices and putting them at the mercy of bigger and bigger companies. Farmland National Beef, IBP Inc. , ConAgra Inc. and Cargill Inc. unit Excel control about 80 per cent of the U.S. beef market. The same companies plus Smithfield Foods Inc. also control more than half of the U.S. pork market. This story explained that the Agriculture Department has vowed to crack down on any illegal practices by meatpackers and has set up a toll-free hotline for ranchers to report any potential violations. Last week, the department was cited as saying that it was sending "rapid response teams" to South Dakota to study if meat packers in the state were illegally refusing to buy livestock from some ranchers because of a new state law that requires companies to pay uniform prices. In April, the Agriculture Department alleged that Excel underpaid 1,250 farmers by an average of about 91 cents per hog after it changed its method for calculating the percentage of leanness in hogs. Excel has volunteered to pay $1.8 million to the farmers although it says it did nothing wrong. In the Farmland case, the cooperative will have an opportunity to respond to the complaint and can request a hearing before an administrative law judge. GE - ACTION ALERT AGAINST XENOTRANSPLANTATION July 21, 1999 From: genetics Saturday 24 July No Animal to Human Transplants Action Day 11am-5:30pm, Jesus Green, Cambridge. There will be a cruelty-free and environmental fair, vegan food, speeches and music. We will also be attempting to break the world record for largest ring-a-roses (currently 1, 197 people). Speeches from 1.00pm, ring-a-roses at 2.00pm sharp! Sounds bizarre?! It is, but there is a method behind the madness. The event is to highlight concerns about xenotransplantation (animal to human transplants). This represents a massive new threat to the welfare and rights of animals, and could create a new epidemic - posing a risk to everyone. Ring-a-roses is a medieval children's dance commemorating the devastating effects of the plague. But we can prevent a future catastrophe. Info: Uncaged (0114 253 0020, email us at uncaged.anti-viv@dial.pipex.com) COURT BID TO THROW OUT ANIMAL-RIGHTS LAWSUIT July 22, 1999 Nature 400, 298 WASHINGTON -- Lawyers for the US government last week was cited as urging a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit that would compel the government to extend the Animal Welfare Act to cover some 23 million research rats, mice and birds (see Nature 400, 197; 1999). In a US District Court, lawyers for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which enforces the 1966 law, was cited as arguing that the animal-rights activists who filed the lawsuit in March do not have legal standing to sue. The government also was cited as saying that the court should stay the lawsuit as premature, as the plaintiffs have petitioned USDA to include the rodents in the law's protections. HOG-FARM July 22, 1999 Broadcast News MONCTON--Agriculture Minister Milt Sherwood was cited as saying that the province doesn't have the power to stop a proposed hog farm in Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, New Brunswick. Bouctouche Bay Eco-Tourism Project has written Premier Bernard Lord. The organization manages an 11-km stretch of protected dunes and watershed. It was cited as saying that continued success is deeply related to the ability of the Bouctouche area to stay clean and unpolluted. Metz Farms is in the process of building a huge hog barn on a 128-hectare parcel of land in the Sainte-Marie-de-Kent area. The barn will send up to 10-thousand pigs to market three times per year. Manure from the operation will be stored in a clay-lined lagoon, then spread over part of the property as fertilizer. (Moncton Times and Transcript) RESEARCH DIRECTOR POSITION JULY 22, 1999 From: "McIntyre, Lynn" Institute of Food, Nutrition & Human Health The Institute's Food Technology and Agribusiness cluster is seeking to appoint its first Director. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity to develop and lead a multi-disciplinary team of 30 staff located at both the Palmerston North and Albany Campuses. The food area, established in1961, is a key component of the Institute of Food, Nutrition and HumanHealth. The Institute has a turnover of $10 million and comprises over 200 staff and postgraduate scholars. The Director will operate within a well supported environment and will have an outstanding opportunity to focus the expansion of the food industry into the 21st Century. The Director will be responsible for the strategic development of the group and its academic, research and commercial performance. The appointee may be located in Palmerston North or Auckland. We are seeking a skilled leader with the vision to grow the cluster's activities, both nationally and internationally. The successful candidate will have significant professional experience relevant to the food industry and a proven record in facilitating and implementing applied research programmes. Strong management and interpersonal skills are essential. Appointment will be to either Associate Professor or Professor depending on qualifications and experience. Enquiries may be addressed to the Head of Institute, Professor Paul Moughan (telephone 0-6-350 6100, fax 0-6-350 5671 or email P.J.Moughan@massey.ac.nz). Reference number: NZJOB57/99L must be quoted. Closing date: 20 August 1999. An information package can be obtained from www.nzjobs.co.nz/massey or the Human Resources Section (telephone 0-6-350 5299, email HRS@massey.ac.nz or fax 0-6-350 5615). Applications, including a full curriculum vitae and the names, addresses and fax numbers of three referees must be sent to 'Academic Vacancies', Human Resources Section before the closing date specified. Equality of opportunity is University policy Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand Dr. Lynn McIntyre, Food Safety Lecturer Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health Massey University - Albany Private Bag 102 904 North Shore Mail Centre Auckland, New Zealand TEL: +64 9 443 9700 ext. 9820 FAX: +64 9 443 9640 Email: L.McIntyre@massey.ac.nz NO QUICK FIX FOR AVIAN CELLULITIS July 22, 1999 Ontario Farmer Daily Avian cellulitis (also known as inflammatory process or IP) has become a chronic problem for many broiler integrators throughout the United States and has resulted in annual financial losses exceeding $40-50 million. The objectives of a recent US Poultry and Egg Association project were to develop preventative strategies to lower the incidence of avian cellulitis lesions and reduce carcass condemnations. A secondary goal was to identify the source of the causative agents (E.coli) and develop methods for reducing the exposure level of broilers to these pathogens. The findings of researchers R.A. Norton, J.M. Barbaree, S.F. Bilgili and J.B. Hess indicate a widely diverse and far more complex array of E. coli, capable of producing cellulitis, than previously understood. Within the 120 E.coli isolates examined, 32 separate genetic groups were identified, making the development of a single cross-protective vaccine very unlikely.. Examination of outer membrane proteins and plasmids of the E. coli isolates indicated no unique characteristic defining cellulitis-type virulence factors, which might be exploited for vaccine development. Antibiotic resistance testing of the E.coli also revealed a very complex picture of widespread resistance among many currently available antimicrobial compounds. A commercially available E.coli vaccine proved ineffective in preventing cellulities in trials, as did the vaccine in combination with vitamin E. Vitamin E alone did not mediate either the frequency or severity of cellulitis lesion development, nor did it prove effective in decreasing the time necessary for the lesions to resolve. This research clearly indicates that cellulitis is a very complex issue that will not be easily solved. Future research must focus on new vaccine development, since in today's climate, the development of new and effective antibiotics is unlikely and long-term availability of currently efficacious antibiotics is in question. SCOTLAND MAY LEAD BAN ON FOX HUNTING BEFORE THE BRITISH July 22, 1999 Reuters/ PA News Politicians were cited as saying on Thursday that fox hunting could be banned in Scotland by early next year, well before attempts in the rest of the United Kingdom to outlaw the centuries-old practice. Two members of the new Scottish parliament were cited as saying they would support Prime Minister Tony Blair's controversial bid to ban the bloodsport in England and Wales by introducing their own private members' bill when the Scottish parliament reconvenes in August. The move is aimed at preventing Scotland from becoming a refuge for fox huntingQan idea which surfaced recently when Scotland's first minister Donald Dewar was cited as saying that his executive had no intention of proposing legislation for Scotland to follow Blair's stated aim of outlawing the practice within two years. Dewar's comments led to widespread speculation that there was a rift with Blair over the divisive issue.Mike Watson, a member of Blair's own Labour party, was quoted as telling the BBC, "We have the right to try to pass laws which have the support from the majority of the people." Alex Fergusson (correct) MSP is, according to these stories, to lead a campaign of opposition to a planned Scottish Parliament bill to bar fox hunting. The bill, in the early stages of drafting by pressure group Advocates for Animals, is set to be introduced by the end of the year. It could see Scotland lead the rest of the UK in banning fox hunting with packs of hounds. It will be piloted through the Scottish Parliament by Labour MSP Mike Watson. Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie was cited as saying that his party was determined to mount a strong attack on any ban, adding, "We are not going to sit idly by and allow the whole countryside way of life to go by default in the Scottish Parliament. Make no mistake, the Watson Bill to ban fox hunting would be just the thin end of the wedge. Before long anglers, stalkers, shooters and the rest would all become targets of the unholy alliance of Old Labour class warriors and misguided animal welfare activists. No rural sporting activity would be safe from their dogmatic attentions." Mr McLetchie also was cited as saying that the impact on 14,000 Scottish jobs supported by hunting had not been thought through, adding, "But this is not about jobs, money and fragile economics alone. It is about personal freedom and choice; it's about tolerance of others people's interests; and it's about respect for the right of others to follow traditional pursuits. There is clearly a need for a co-ordinated campaign of opposition to this frontal attack on the fabric of rural life in Scotland and Alex Fergusson is ideally suited to lead it. A countryman through and through, he will bring common sense, balance and integrity to a debate too often dominated by ignorance and hysteria." Mr Fergusson, MSP for South of Scotland, was quoted as saying, "I am delighted to have been asked to take on the role of leader of the pack opposing this dogma-driven assault on our rural life. I've already held meetings with representatives of the Countryside Alliance, and will be making early contact with the Gamekeepers' Association, the masters of Scotland's 10 hunts and others with a view to rallying the forces of opposition to this Bill. Today I will be e-mailing all MSPs inviting them to join an all-party country sports committee whose principal objectives will be to defend, promote and preserve rural activities such as hunting, shooting, fishing and falconry. Scots Tory MSPs will, of course, have a free vote on the Watson Bill, but the vast majority have already indicated they will vote against any move to ban fox hunting." Mr Watson was cited as rejecting claims by the pro-hunting lobby that the bill was urban interference in rural affairs. The member for Glasgow Cathcart was quoted as telling BBC News 24, "The question of hunting with hounds is not simply an issue for those people who live in the rural areas. It is a matter, I would suggest, of conscience." Mr Watson also hit back at the Scottish Landowners Federation who described him as a "stereotypical urban politician. I hope we are not going to get into name calling. That would be rather depressing." The Prime Minister was cited as indicating that Westminster could legislate on a ban in this Parliament or the next. The SNP's Tricia Marwick, regional MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, has agreed to co-sponsor the bill and supporters are hoping for further cross-party backing. Alan Murray of the Scottish Countryside Alliance was quoted as telling the BBC, "This parliament has far more important things on the agenda than fox hunting," adding that they are pledging to resist the proposals and says a ban would restrict personal freedom and cost jobs in rural areas. In an editorial, the Scotsman newspaper was quoted as saying, "A fox-hunting bill will provoke huge controversy. It will set town against country and provoke tension between the regions of Scotland." Mr Watson was quoted as saying, "It is a matter of dealing with what is a cruel and barbaric practice. That is a fact of life no matter where you live. The Scottish Parliament is there to represent the views of the whole of Scotland." CLONING OF EXTINCT HUIA BIRD APPROVED July 20, 1999 ENN It may sound like science fiction, but scientists and ethicists meeting in New Zealand earlier this month have determined that efforts to revive the extinct Huia bird through cloning should begin immediately. Professor of molecular biology Diana Hill, who has also investigated the cloning of another extinct bird, the Moa, called the project "flagship research" and "exciting leading-edge science of international significance." Hill cautioned that technical hurdles mean a cloned Huia is probably some years away. The project began when students at the Hastings Boys High School in New Zealand wondered if their school emblem, the extinct Huia, could be revived. The students researched the idea, invited speakers and organized a conference. Students, representatives from the Maori, scientists and moral experts met July 9-10 to discuss the technical feasibility and moral permissibility of reviving the Huia. Now the schoolboy fantasy, inspired by Dr. Michael Crichton's best-selling novel, Jurassic Park, is leading to cutting edge scientific research. The Huia is a bird of great cultural importance to the Maori, New Zealand's indigenous population. They prized the bird for its large, white-tipped, black tail feathers. Due to a European fashion craze, the bird was declared extinct in the 1920s. The Reverend Dr. Norman Ford, Catholic priest and director of the Caroline Chisholm Centre for Health Ethics in Melbourne, Australia, said that the benefits to Maori and to New Zealand of cloning the Huia meant the research was morally acceptable. Other arguments that supported the morality of cloning the Huia included a restorative justice argument -- that the Huia suffered loss through the actions of man and that man should now make good that loss. Cloning supporters also say that it shows that technology can fix the mistakes man has made in the past. Those who opposed the cloning project had a range of objections -- that man should not play god, that the money could be spent better elsewhere, and that the Huia, due to its overspecialized nature was not meant to survive. They say a cloned Huia would not be real and might not be able to survive in the wild. Cloning supporters carried the day. "The next step in the cloning process involves searching for cells in the bones and tendons of preserved specimens," says Dr. Rhys Michael Cullen, a New Zealand physician and secretary of the academic committee of cyberuni.org, a conference sponsor. "If none are found, then we will try to extract DNA from those specimens and use 'Jurassic Park technology'." If none of these cells can be found, the nucleus of a cell removed from a taxidermic specimen of a Huia could be fused with the ovum of another bird to start the regeneration. In Scotland, scientists used a cell implant to clone Dolly, the sheep. Alternatively, scientists could attempt to create a clone from a genetic template of the Huia. This was the process to revive dinosaurs from extinction as described in the novel, Jurassic Park. The cloning project will be financed in part by cyberuni.org, inc., a California corporation and Internet start-up, based in San Francisco. RODEO ANIMAL SAFETY July 22 /99 Washington Post A22 Cindy Schonholtz, PRCA Animal Welfare Coordinator, Colorado Springs, was quoted as writing in this letter to the editor: Mary Lou Randour has a negative opinion of the sport of rodeo ["Rodeo as Violence," letters, July 13]. Rodeo not only provides one of the last forms of affordable family entertainment but also provides care and treatment for thousands of animals, many of which are unwanted. Rodeos sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) have, according to this letter, 60 rules to ensure the proper care and treatment of rodeo livestock. Rules require a veterinarian on-site at all PRCA-sanctioned events, and all animals are inspected before each performance. The injury rate to rodeo livestock at PRCA events is low. A study conducted by on-site independent veterinarians was cited as showing it to be less than five-hundredths of one percent. MIGRATORY BIRD HUNTING; PROPOSED FRAMEWORKS FOR EARLY-SEASON MIGRATORY BIRD HUNTING REGULATIONS AND REGULATORY ALTERNATIVES FOR THE 1999-2000 DUCK HUNTING SEASON; NOTICE OF MEETING July 22 /99 Federal Register Page 39460-39478 DOCID:fr22jy99-27 AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Proposed rule; Supplemental. SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter Service or we) is proposing to establish the 1999-2000 early-season hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds. We annually prescribe frameworks, or outer limits, for dates and times when hunting may occur and the maximum number of birds that may be taken and possessed in early seasons. Early seasons generally open prior to October 1, and include seasons in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These frameworks are necessary to allow State selections of final seasons and limits and to allow recreational harvest at levels compatible with population status and habitat conditions. This supplement to the proposed rule also provides the regulatory alternatives for the 1999-2000 duck hunting season. DATES: To comment on the proposed early-season frameworks, you must do so by August 2, 1999. ADDRESSES: Send your comments on these proposals to the Chief, Office of Migratory Bird Management (MBMO), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, room 634-Arlington Square, Washington, DC 20240. All comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the public record. You may inspect comments during normal business hours in room 634, Arlington Square Building, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON HARMONISATION OF TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS (VICH); VICH GL10 DRAFT GUIDANCE ON ``IMPURITIES IN NEW VETERINARY DRUG SUBSTANCES;'' AVAILABILITY; REQUEST FOR COMMENTS July 22 /99 Federal Register Page 39516-39517 DOCID:fr22jy99-83 Docket No. 99D-2215 AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice; request for comments. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability for comment of a draft guidance developed for veterinary use by the International Cooperation on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH). This VICH GL10 draft guidance for industry entitled ``Impurities in New Veterinary Drug Substances'' is intended to assist in developing registration applications for approval of veterinary medicinal products submitted to the European Union, Japan, and the United States. DATES: Submit written comments August 23, 1999; FDA must receive comments before the deadline in order to ensure their consideration at the next VICH committee meeting, but the agency will accept comments after the deadline. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. Comments should be identified with the full title of the draft guidance and the docket number found in the heading of this document. Copies of the draft guidance entitled ``Impurities in New Veterinary Drug Substances'' may be obtained on the Internet from the CVM home page at ``http://www.fda.gov/cvm/fda/TOCs/guideline.html''. Persons without Internet access may submit written requests for single copies of the draft guidance to the Communications Staff (HFV-12), Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration, 7500 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing your requests. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON HARMONISATION OF TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS (VICH); VICH GL11 DRAFT GUIDANCE ON IMPURITIES IN NEW VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS; AVAILABILITY; REQUEST FOR COMMENTS July 22 /99 Federal Register Page 39514-39515 DOCID:fr22jy99-81 Docket No. 99D-2145 AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice; request for comments. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability for comment of a draft guidance developed by the International Cooperation on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH). This VICH GL11 draft guidance for industry entitled ``Impurities in New Veterinary Medicinal Products'' provides guidance recommendations for applications for marketing authorizations on the content and qualification of impurities in new veterinary medicinal products produced from chemically synthesized new active substances not previously registered in a member state. DATES: Submit written comments by August 23, 1999; FDA must receive comments before the deadline in order to ensure their consideration at the next VICH committee meeting, but the agency will accept comments after the deadline. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. Comments should be identified with the full title of the draft guidance and the docket number found in brackets in the heading of this document. Copies of the draft guidance entitled ``Impurities in New Veterinary Medicinal Products'' may be obtained on the Internet from the CVM home page at ``http://www.fda.gov/cvm/fda/TOCs/ guideline.html''. Persons without Internet access may submit written requests for single copies of the draft guidance to the Communications Staff (HFV-12), Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration, 7500 Standish Pl., Rockville, MD 20855. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing your requests. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON HARMONISATION OF TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS (VICH); DRAFT GUIDANCE ON STABILITY TESTING FOR MEDICATED PREMIXES; AVAILABILITY; REQUEST FOR COMMENTS July 22 /99 Federal Register Page 39515-39516 DOCID:fr22jy99-82 AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. Docket No. 99D-2249 ACTION: Notice; request for comments. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability for comment on the following draft guidance for industry document entitled ``Stability Testing for Medicated Premixes.'' This draft guidance document has been developed for veterinary use by the International Cooperation on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH). This draft guidance document is an annex to the parent guidance VICH GL3 entitled ``Stability Testing of New Drug Substances and Products in the Veterinary Field.'' This draft guidance document is the annex and addresses the recommendations for stability testing of veterinary medicinal Type A medicated articles (referred to as medicated premix drug products in the draft guidance) intended for submission for approval to the European Union, Japan, and the United States. DATES: Written comments should be submitted by August 23, 1999. NOTE: FDA will accept comments after the deadline, but to assure consideration, we must receive them by August 23, 1999. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the draft guidance to the Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. Comments should be identified with the full title of the draft guidance document and the docket number found in the heading of this document. Submit written requests for single copies of the draft guidance to the Communications Staff (HFV-12), Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration, 7500 Standish Pl., Rockville, MD 20855. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist that office in processing your requests. See the Supplementary Information section of this document for electronic access to the draft guidance. ENDANGERED AND THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS; FINAL DESIGNATION OF CRITICAL HABITAT FOR THE RIO GRANDE SILVERY MINNOW July 22 /99 Federal Register Page 39560 DOCID:fr22jy99-128 Correction In rule document 99-16985, beginning on page 36274, in the issue of Tuesday, July 6, 1999, make the following correction(s): 1. On page 36275, in the first column, in the first full paragraph, in the 11th line, ``ensured'' should read ``ensued''. 2. On the same page, in the second column, in the second full paragraph, in the fourth line from the bottom, ``one'' should read ``once''; and in the last line, ``Elephant Butt Reservoir'' should read ``Elephant Butte Reservoir''. 3. On the same page, in the third column, in the second paragraph, in the fourth line, ``elephant butte'' should read ``Elephant Butte''; and in the last line, ``Riverbed'' should read ``riverbed''. 4. On the same page, in the same column, under the heading Previous Federal Action, in the first paragraph, in the third line from the bottom, ``Theratened'' should read ``Threatened''. 5. On page 36276, in the first column, in the second full paragraph, in the 13th line, ``New'' should read ``new''. 6. On page 36278, in the third column, in the second full paragraph, in the seventh line, ``must'' should read ``might''; and in the tenth line, ``ion'' should read ``in''. 7. On page 36281, in the first column, in the second full paragraph, in the first line, ``constrains'' should read ``constraints''; and in the 13th line, ``Rio Grand'' should read ``Rio Grande''. 8. On the same page, in the second column, in the paragraph designated Issue 1:, in the 24th line, after ``Acacia'' add ``to''. 9. On page 36282, in the first column, in the paragraph designated Service Response:, in the 11th line, ``alternation'' should read ``alteration''. 10. On the same page, in the second column, in the paragraph designated Issue 4:, in the ninth line, ``silivery'' should read ``silvery''. 11. On the same page, in the third column, in the seventh line from the bottom, ``U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service'' should read ``U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service''. 12. On page 36283, in the first column, in the paragraph designated Issue 8:, in the fifth line, ``Elephant Butte. Reservoir'' should read ``Elephant Butte Reservoir''. 13. On the same page, in the same column, in the first paragraph designated Service Response:, in the second line, ``alternations'' should read ``alterations''. 14. On the same page, in the same column, in the paragraph designated Issue 9:, in the second line, ``wasterwater'' should read ``wastewater''. 15. On the same page, in the same column, in the second paragraph designated Service Response:, in the 11th line, after ``would'' add ``also''. 16. On the same page, in the same column, in the paragraph designated Issue 10:, in the third line, ``working'' should read ``wording''. 17. On page 36284, in the first column, in the fourth line from the bottom, ``San Acadia Dam'' should read ``San Acacia Dam''. 18. On the same page, in the second column, in the paragraph designated Issue 19:, in the eighth line, ``what'' should read ``then''. 19. On the same page, in the third column, in the second paragraph designated Service Response:, in the third line, ``members'' should read ``numbers''. 20. On page 36286, in the first column, in the paragraph designated Issue 31:, in the sixth line, ``San Juan-China Project'' should read ``San Juan-Chama Project''. 21. On the same page, in the third column, under the heading Required Determinations, in the second line from the bottom, after ``will'' add ``not''. Sec. 17.95 [Corrected] 22. On page 36288, in the second column, in amendatory instruction 3, in the first line, ``19.95(e)'' should read ``17.95(e)''. 23. On the same page, in the third column, in Sec. 17.95(e), in the second paragraph, in the ninth line, ``Santa Fee Railroad'' should read ``Santa Fe Railroad''. [FR Doc. C9-16985 Filed 7-21-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 1505-01-D 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 http://www.oac.uoguelph.ca/riskcomm archived at: http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/ansc481/animal_net.html