African Horse Sickness (AHS) Controlled Zones The WPCS has never been represented on the Import/Export Council and only after complaining to the Western Cape Ministry of Agriculture were we invited to send a representative to attend a meeting of the Council together with other interested parties on November 4, 2004, in Cape Town.

At this meeting a submission on proposed changes to the AHS protocol was made. This submission did not address the unfortunate consequences of the protocol - ALL the benefits of the protocol are enjoyed by the exporters while ALL the costs of complying with the protocol are unjustly carried by the non-exporter - the sport-horse enthusiast. A summary of the proposed changes to the protocol is available by clicking Protocol.

Gustav Karlsson as our representative on this body is endeavouring to get the exporters to pay ALL our unnecessary costs in complying with the protocol. However, we need the support of all sport-horse enthusiasts (not only WPCS members). Please click on action@freyja.co.za NOW with the heading "support" and with your name as the message. Get all your friends to do the same. You will be kept informed of developments.

SUMMARY OF PROTOCOL CONSULTATION PROCESS

Public Meetings 

1. July 2004 – Biennial Course in Stud Management in kwaZulu-Natal
2. 4 August 2004 – Kenilworth, Cape Town
3. 12 August 2004 – Gosforth Park, Johannesburg

Working Group Meetings

1. September 2004 – Elsenburg, Western Cape
2. September 2004 – Onderstepoort, Pretoria

GENERAL STATEMENT

The steps to be taken for the European Union to lift the current suspension of exports of horses from South Africa and changes to make the “Current Protocol” more practical are totally separate issues. These two issues will have to be addressed independently and it is probable that the EU will also consider them at different times.

Process for Lifting of Export Ban

1.      Submission to EC – July 2004

2.      Visit of EC Inspection Delegation – 1^st Quarter 2005

3.      Consideration of Inspection Delegation’s Report by Standing Veterinary Committee of EC

4.      Lifting of Suspension

Process for New Protocol

1.      Public Consultation

2.      Submission of proposals to EC

3.      In principle acceptance of proposals by EC

4.      Amendments to Animal Diseases Regulations and AHS Control Policy

5.      Implementation of new “Protocol”

SUMMARY OF ISSUES

A. Non-Protocol Matters

1.                  ARE THE BENEFITS OF EXPORT WORTH THE COST OF THE PROTOCOL? 

2.                  Need to ensure that private funding mechanisms are put in place to allow appropriate measures to be put in place.

3.                  The limited stabling facilities in the AHS Free Zone need to be addressed.

4.                  There needs to be a mechanism in place for issues to be tabled and attended to.

5.                  A system should be put in place to ensure that a uniform system is introduced for movement certification of horses from shows.

6.                  Publicity and awareness campaigns should be put in place, particularly in high-risk periods. One could consider using Teletrack.

7.                  We must ensure that the Mauritius protocol remains as an alternative to our existing protocol.

8.                  Some countries have different post-arrival conditions and we should attempt to harmonise these.

9.                  The justification of the 60 vector-protected quarantine period in the USA needs to be established and a reduction thereof should be requested.

10.              Protocols with other countries like Australia and various South American countries should be established.

11.              A mechanism whereby imported animals can remain in training needs to be established.

B. Protocol Matters

12.              In the short to medium term, we should concentrate on adapting the existing protocol to make it more workable and should then look at fundamental changes in the longer term.

i. Requiring Changes to EU Protocol

13.              Need to have reliable delivery system even if it means that we can guarantee exports at certain times of the year (winter period). We need to get this alternate protocol in place so that we can at least have a worst-case scenario (colloquially referred to as Winter Protocol). Alternatively we need to have a second area from which to export.

14.              Cost of complying with current protocol is too high for local organised horse sport. Need to look at measures to reduce impact on local equestrian events.

15.              The requirements for movements between adjacent zones (e.g. from Protection Zone to Surveillance Zone) should be less onerous than those between non-adjacent zones (e.g. from Infected zone to Free Zone).

16.              Movement controls should be adapted to include provisions for seasonal differences in risk (e.g. movement controls in winter should be less onerous whilst those in high risk period could be more stringent that they are at present).

17.              The 60 day post vaccination period during which horses cannot move needs to revised or removed.

18.              Efforts should be made to introduce measures whereby horses can be trans-shipped at Johannesburg International Airport whilst en route to other countries.

ii. Local Issues

19.              Current protocol is not being properly policed. Need to make it simpler to police and need to provide resources to police the protocol adequately.

20.              Need to introduce large penalties that make it very difficult for people to ignore control measures.

21.              Need to simplify the mechanism whereby people can get the correct authorisation to move horses.

22.              Current Permit and Health Certificate system is extremely difficult to comply with even if one wants to do so.

The remainder of this summary is limited to the consideration of “Protocol” issues. The non-protocol issues will need to be taken up and considered separately.

RISK PROFILES

1. Movement of equids from Infected Zone to AHS Controlled Area – SEASONAL HIGH RISK PERIOD
2. Movement of equids within AHS Controlled Area – LOW RISK

The subdivision of these areas based on risk allows one to propose different movement controls for these different movements.

Movement within AHS Controlled Area

1.      Includes AHS Free Area, AHS Surveillance Zone and AHS Protection Zone

2.      Institute system for Registration of Local Horses to ABOLISH current movement restrictions

3.      Free Area and Surveillance Zone – Properties with horses Registered and Horse Registers Required 

AHS ZONES

1. AHS FREE AREA – will remain as it is
2. AHS SURVEILLANCE ZONE – current border MAY be moved to make the zone smaller.
3. AHS PROTECTION ZONE – current outer border will remain as it is but the area may be enlarged to include some of the current surveillance zone

Enhanced Surveillance in AHS Free and Surveillance Zones

1.      All properties with horses will be registered

2.      Individual Horse Registers on properties

3.      Regular inspection of properties and registers

4.      ALL horses will be POSITIVELY identified (Microchip)

5.      Blood samples from ALL horses for AHS testing

6.      Regular samples (annual?) for enhanced surveillance

 MOVEMENT FROM INFECTED ZONE TO CONTROLLED AREA

1. Coordination of issue of Movement Permits by SV Boland
2. Specific conditions for movement detailed on permit
   1. Low risk period – In general, conditions will be less onerous than current conditions
   2. High risk period – Movement will be restricted and subject to pre-entry requirements (including step-wise movement)

SUMMARY OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OLD AND PROPOSED NEW PROTOCOL

AHS Controlled Area (=AHS Free Area, AHS Surveillance Zone and AHS Protection Zone)

Current Protocol                            Proposed Protocol

1.      No register                                                             1. Establishment of a register

2.      Movement control                                                  2. No movement control for registered horses

Permit and health certificate                                  No permit and no health certificate

              60 days no movement post vaccination                  No 60 days stand still for booster vaccinations

Infected Zone to Controlled Area

Current Protocol                                      Proposed Protocol

1.      SV Permit + Health Certificate                               Permit with specific conditions

2.      No movement for 60 days post-vaccination            Removed for booster vaccinations

3.      No seasonal differences                                          Seasonal differences

Low-risk (1 June to 31 Dec) – less-restrictive

High-risk (1 Jan to 31 May) - Stricter