MEDIA RELEASE
13 August 2003

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INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT TO COMBAT ANIMAL DISEASES

Dr Murray said that, while there were mutual benefits in such collaboration, Australia has an important self-interest in helping regional countries on animal health matters and, to a large degree, this was driven by the desire to facilitate trade. "Clearly, most of Australia's animal health and veterinary public health responsibilities cannot be effectively met without bilateral, regional and multilateral collaboration on these matters," he said. "Collaboration on animal health science also serves to diffuse regional market access disputes, strengthen pre-border control programs against animal disease and pest incursions, and encourage the exchange of information and knowledge."

Dr Murray was speaking at the ATSE Crawford Fund's annual conference, The Livestock Revolution: A Pathway from Poverty, held at Parliament House Canberra today. Other speakers include the Rt Hon Mike Moore, former Director General of the World Trade Organisation, and Dr Carlos Seré, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute. "In recent times, international trade in animals and animal products has been greatly influenced by changing risks, both real and perceived," Dr Murray said, highlighting recent failures in controls such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Europe.

"Clearly, the trend will continue for international trade in animals and animal products to be increasingly regulated by sanitary requirements related to animal health and veterinary public health, rather than by tariffs and quotas," he said. Australia continues to build a collaborative animal health program with other countries with a particular emphasis on neighbouring countries where their proximity means an outbreak of serious animal disease may pose a threat to Australian animals.

A leadership role is provided by Australia in regional ini29 December, 2004ast and Oceania, the Southeast Asia foot?and?mouth disease (SEAFMD) campaign, the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific, and in animal health technical working groups of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. SEAFMD involves a long-term commitment with Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to control and ultimately eradicate FMD.

A less obvious benefit of eradicating the devastating livestock disease will flow from general improvements in veterinary services and information systems that support trade. Bilateral animal health activities include the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy, which targets pests and disease in northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Other current or recent projects include:

• Malaysia - screw worm fly facility and associated activities; Indonesia - Flores rabies diagnostic project; FMD disease surveillance project; sponsoring the training of Indonesian personnel in diagnostic capabilities and the Japanese encephalitis project; Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya - capacity building in animal and plant quarantine; East Timor - quarantine building project; China - national workshop on quarantine and health certification and FMD projects; Regional countries - Nipah virus training; and
  
• Republic of Korea - technical assistance with FMD epidemiology and control.

For further information, to receive the range of other media statements from the conference or to arrange interviews contact Howard Conkey at AFFA on 02 62723572 or Cathy Reade at the ATSE Crawford Fund on 0413 575 934. The program, all press releases, bios and abstracts from the event are at www.crawfordfund.org

The ATSE Crawford Fund wishes to thank its sponsors and supporters for this event including: AFFA, AusAID, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, ACIAR, CRC for Innovative Dairy Products, CSIRO Livestock Industries, Dairy Australia, GRDC, IFPRI, ILRI, Meat and Livestock Australia, and University of Sydney Orange

The ATSE Crawford Fund
1 Leonard Street
Parkville 3052
Victoria Australia
T: (03) 9347 8328
F: (03) 9347 3224
E: crawford@mira.net
W: www.crawfordfund.org