African swine fever: EU urges collaboration and braces for “peak” summer risks

23 Jul 2019 --- The European Commission (EC) has underscored the crucial importance of multi-sectoral cooperation to control African swine fever (ASF) and prevent further spread across Europe. Extra vigilance and preparation are imperative, particularly “due to the peak of the disease during the summer season”, according to delegates at a recent EU meeting to discuss the latest on the contagious deadly viral disease affecting pigs and wild boars. Nine EU member states are currently affected by the disease: Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania (wild boar and farmed pigs), Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Belgium (wild boar only), and Italy (Sardinia only – unrelated epidemic situation).

Meanwhile, the outbreak has caused mass disruption across East and Southeast Asia and had a significant impact on global markets, with prices of pig meat rising rapidly between February and May.

The situation in the EU remains stable, notes the meeting of the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council. However, since January 2019, the disease has continued to spread to vast regions of China and other Asian countries (Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), raising serious concerns in other countries such as the US and Canada.

The EC has reassured member states that it would remain active in fighting ASF but stresses the importance of collaboration in order to contain the disease, for which there is no cure.

Delegates who attended the recent meeting, underlined the key role of biosecurity and information sharing, as well as sufficient co-financing and the respect of international trade standards by trading partners.

The EC urged member states to renew efforts at all levels with the aim of ensuring compliance with existing rules on the protection of animals during transport, in particular over long distances and under hot weather conditions.

Several ministers emphasized the need for a uniform application of animal transport rules within the EU and others even called for new, stricter measures.

The European Livestock and Meat Traders Union (UECBV) strongly supports the plea of the Commission to remain vigilant. “The success of the EU control system, including EU regionalization, can be seen in the eradication of ASF in the Czech Republic, or in the containment of the disease in the wild boar population in Belgium and Hungary, or even in Estonia since 2018. Furthermore, no cases of ASF were linked to trade in pork, be it intra-EU or for exports,” says UECBV.

“A joint effort from all EU authorities and stakeholders based on the accomplishments of the European system in containing ASF and delivering safe pork and on the World Organization for Animal Health’s (OIE) standards for safe international trade is needed to convince our trade partners of the fact that EU pork is safe.”

Earlier this month, a new Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report noted how the escalation of ASF in East and Southeast Asia is threatening the livelihood and food security of millions of people, particularly of vulnerable subsistence pig farmers.

One of the main drivers of the epidemic is the small-scale structure of most of the pig industry in the subregion, the report notes. This hampers the implementation of biosecurity standards, an important control measure that can contribute to halting the spread of the disease.

By Gaynor Selby

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