Manitoba Liberal Leader Calls for Provincial Foreign Animal Disease Action Plan

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Manitoba Liberal Leader Calls for Provincial Foreign Animal Disease Action Plan

Dr. Jon Gerrard - Manitoba Liberal Leader
Farmscape for July 23, 2001 (Episode 728) The Manitoba Liberal Party is calling on the provincial government to develop a plan of action that can kick in in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak anywhere in North America. Provincial Liberal Leader Dr. Jon Gerrard says a foreign animal disease, such as foot and mouth, would do a great deal of damage to the Manitoba economy if it entered the province so it's important to be prepared ahead of time. He suggests a provincial action plan similar to the one in place in South Dakota that will kick in if the disease is discovered anywhere in the US and guard against the infection spreading into the state. Clip-Dr. Jon Gerrard-Manitoba Liberal Leader There is a good action plan at the Canadian level with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency but what there needs to be is an action plan at the provincial level. I've been pressing the provincial government to get a very clear provincial action plan so that, where we to be in the situation where food and mouth disease arrived somewhere else in North American than in Manitoba, we really can seal off the province effectively and keep it a foot and mouth disease free zone. When you look at, for example in Europe, Denmark was able to do this very effectively and as a result they were back exporting livestock products to Japan very quickly. Countries which have had major difficulties with foot and mouth disease, the United Kingdom, Netherlands are still in grave difficulties now many many months after this thing started. Dr. Gerrard suggests Manitoba needs to follow South Dakota's lead and develop it's own response. He says measures need to be in place that will seal the border if infection is discovered in North America to make sure there's no livestock movement into Manitoba and that any movement that does occur is closely monitored. He says it's important to be well prepared ahead of time and that everyone is clear on what needs to happen in response to an outbreak. For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.




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