National Agenda for Animal Health

Dutch agenda 2007 - 2015: Prevention is better than cure

The Dutch National Agenda for Animal Health 2007-2015 is concerned with animal health in the Netherlands. However, this cannot be seen entirely in isolation from the international context: animal diseases are not constrained by national borders.

In principle, the strategy relates to all animals in the Netherlands, both those kept for food production and those kept as pets or as a hobby, as well as animals used for entertainment (circus, zoo) and those living in the wild.

Apart from setting out an overarching strategy for the period 2007-2015, the National Agenda for Animal Health also describes out which activities and exploratory studies will be implemented and developed in the coming years.

You can download this Agenda, please chapter 3.5 for the ministers view on animals living in the wild.

Animals in the wild and endangered kept animals Introduction

The purpose of the nature policy is to maintain stable populations and promote biodiversity. The creation of the National Ecological Network (EHS), which among other things links nature areas through the creation of ecological connections, is a key element in this policy.

As far as possible, wild animals are left to their own devices. Disease and mortality are a natural fact of life in the wild. From a nature protection perspective, therefore, allowing infectious animal diseases to spread among wild animals is logical. Frequently the disease will burn itself out and a population will recover naturally.

This chapter looks at the relationship between nature policy and animal health. It focuses on the following categories of animals: protected animals in the wild, large wild herbivores and endangered animals in captivity.

Protected wild animals

Virtually all naturally occurring mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles in the Netherlands are protected. Human intervention in the life cycles of protected species is minimised, and is permitted only where there are specific interests at stake. These aspects are regulated in the Flora and Fauna Act.

Large herbivores in the wild

In the ‘large nature units' as described in the guidelines for management of large herbivores (Leidraad Grote Grazers), large herbivores have the legal status of ‘animals in the wild'.
The currently designated units are Oostvaardersplassen, Veluwezoom and the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. These areas afford space for natural processes and provide a habitat for large herbivores such as Heck cattle, Scottish Highlanders and Konik horses, which are regarded ecologically as wild animals. This allows a population to develop under the most natural conditions possible. In other nature areas, large farmed herbivores are used for the management of the area. From the perspective of the animal health policy, these animals all fall under the same regime, as kept farm animals.

Endangered kept animals

These are animals which have entirely or almost entirely disappeared from the wild and which have international protection status7.

Present situation and problems

Experiences with crises in recent years have largely shaped policy on animal diseases and nature. Several procedures stipulate what actions should be taken in relation to nature areas and animals in the wild during animal disease crises. The most important principles are as follows:

Creating calm

The rule of thumb during an outbreak of an animal disease is to create a calm environment for wild protected animals and herbivores living in the wild. This prevents wild animals or birds from migrating over large distances and possibly helping to spread the disease further.

With a view to maintaining this calm environment and also sustaining biodiversity, mass culling of wild animals (including wild herbivores) is not carried out when controlling an infectious disease through a ‘stamping out' regime8. Culling would cause a number of animal movements, only increasing the risk of the further spread of the disease. Moreover, it is virtually impossible to cull all wild animals in a population. 7

During outbreaks of classical swine fever it can however be necessary at a certain stage to reduce the number of susceptible animals. This can be achieved either through oral vaccination of wild boars or by reducing the population through a targeted and regulated cull. This then has to be weighed against the disruption this will cause to the rest of the population.

Other measures designed to create a calm environment may include closing nature areas to the public, compartmentalising nature areas to combat migration of wild animals, suspending activities in nature areas, banning hunting, controlling management and damage, discouraging recreational activities, etc. The various management procedures explain in more detail how these measures are to be implemented.

Exceptions to culling

When controlling an animal disease using the ‘stamping out' approach, in which all susceptible animals within a certain radius of an infection source are culled, animal species which have almost or completely disappeared from the wild9 are exempt from culling. There are conditions: they must be placed in quarantine and the necessary measures must be taken in respect of cleaning and disinfection. The species which are eligible for this exemption have special international protection status.

The ambitions for the animal health policy for animals living in the wild relate to prevention, monitoring and risk analysis and communication.

Prevention

According to current scientific knowledge, the chance of infectious animal diseases being transferred from the wild population in the Netherlands to farm animals is very remote10. That chance does however increase if it is decided when establishing ecological connections to interconnect agricultural and natural functions. As the consequences of such an outbreak can be very considerable, the government wishes to minimise the risk.

Monitoring

Although animal diseases in natural populations often die out of their own accord, this does not always happen. There is currently no clear picture of the incidence of infectious animal diseases in these populations. In order to be able to respond adequately, both in ‘times of war' and in ‘times of peace', this information gap needs to be filled.

Risk analysis and communication

Opinions are divided on the role played by wild animals in the spread of animal diseases. The commercial farming industry is extremely concerned about the potential risks of the spreading of infectious animal diseases by animals living in the wild, especially in relation to the creation of the National Ecological Network and ecological connections. The risks cited by livestock farmers include the potential risk of disease being spread by wild horses and cattle, wild boars and (migrating) (water) birds.

By contrast, nature organisations have concerns about diseases crossing over from farm animals to healthy wild populations.

This mutual distrust leads to a polarisation between civil society groups and to diminishing support for nature policy.

Objectives

Improve the monitoring of infectious diseases in natural populations.

• Improve the communication on the risks of animal diseases in natural populations.
• Improve the coordination of animal health policy and nature policy:
• Take animal disease risks into account when establishing zones for ecological connections.
• Take full account of the interests of nature when considering control measures. •
• Improve the enforcement of the policy that wild boars may only occur in the Veluwe and Meinweg areas.

Envisaged results

The government would like to work together with the provincial authorities, nature organisations and the stock farming industry to achieve the following goals:

• By 2015 the incidence and prevalence of animal diseases in natural populations is known.
• By 2015 the risks of animal diseases being spread by wild animals are known.
• By 2015 public opinion is more balanced due to the distinction between hard risks and perceived risks.
• By 2015 measures have been taken to combat the risks of animal diseases being spread by wild deer when establishing ecological connections and the National Ecological Network.
• By 2010 enforcement of the zero status policy for wild boars has improved.
• During the plan period, full account will be taken of nature interests and biodiversity objectives in the decision-making on animal diseases and disease crises.

Actions

Joint actions by the government, nature organisations and centres of expertise

In collaboration with stakeholders, the government wishes to implement the following actions in the coming years:

• 2008: completion of an exploratory study on expanding monitoring and coordination. The possibility of assigning a coordinating role to the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre11, in collaboration with centres of expertise in the fields of ecology, epidemiology and veterinary medicine, will be studied.
• 2009-2010: formulation of a monitoring plan and a communication plan with a view to increasing the existing monitoring of the incidence of infectious animal diseases in wild populations and birds.
• 2010-2011: the government, together with livestock farmers and nature organisations, will draw up a communication plan which, based on risk analysis and monitoring, will generate a clearer picture of the actual risks, create a more balanced public perception of the role of wild animals in the spread of animal diseases, and consequently improve the communication between the various parties.
• 2007-2015: the provincial authorities will formulate a joint plan together with the livestock industry on the establishment of ecological connections in order to combat the spread of animal diseases by wild animals, based on risk analysis. Possible measures will include preventing direct contacts between wild animals and farm animals through zoning or fencing off (keeping free range pigs temporarily indoors; temporarily placing cattle indoors; fencing off farms or nature areas). These plans and the associated division of responsibilities will be established at administrative level between nature area managers, farmers, central government and provincial authorities.
• 2007-2015: the ability to control an outbreak of an animal disease will be taken into account in establishing the National Ecological Network.

Actions by the government

• 2007-2015: attention will be given to increasing the input of provincial authorities to enforce policy in the areas where wild boars may not occur. The habitats designated for wild boars, the Veluwe and Meinweg areas, will be exempted.