Draft conclusions and recommendations

Introduction

The importance of safeguarding or protecting animal health in relation to trade in live animals and products of animal origin has been recognised since ancient times. Today with the ever increasing global trade the rapid transport of infected/contaminated animals over long distances or transport of products under conditions where pathogens can survive for weeks, months and even years, may lead to the outbreak of serious disease epidemics. Therefore the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) an organisation that was founded in 1924 has become of great importance for establishing basic animal health trade rules. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is the legal and institutional foundation of multilateral trade and it is the platform on which trade relations among countries evolve through collective debate, negotiation and adjudication. The Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement (SPS) of the WTO recognises the OIE as the relevant international organisation responsible for the development and promotion of international animal health standards, guidelines, and recommendations affecting trade in live animals and animal products. In the future, development of new and adjustment of existing measures safeguarding animal health and related issues will have to be handled within the framework of the WTO.

The current trade environment

The WTO SPS agreement was one of the outcomes of the Uruguay Round negotiations of the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). Although the GATT has dealt with trade issues since 1947, it addressed issues dealing with life and health only in a brief paragraph. As the negotiations on agriculture progressed with efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate tariffs and quotas, it became evident that countries were being limited to using health reasons for blocking trade. Therefore, it was the task of the Uruguay Round negotiators to come up with clear science-based rules which would allow countries to have sovereign rights in setting measures for protecting public, animal and plant health, while not creating unjustified barriers to trade. The SPS Agreement was signed in Marrakesh in 1994 and entered into force in 1995. Simultaneously, the GATT was transformed into the (WTO). While the implementation of the SPS Agreement has certainly facilitated international trade and has minimised trade disruptions, there are still unsolved questions that pose future challenges, e.g., animal welfare, the environment, consumer concerns, biotechnology, morality in trade, and the precautionary principle.

Environmental concerns

There are considerable amounts of effluents from modern livestock production (including fish), which have distinct impacts on air, water, soil, biodiversity in plants, forest ecology and man. There are local impacts, e.g., odour, bioaerosols and ammonia, regional impacts, e.g., ammonia, nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate), heavy metals, and there are global impacts, e.g., methane and nitrous oxide, respectively. Human health is threatened by polluted water (nitrates) and bioaerosols. Trees and other plants are affected by nitrogen input (ammonia, nitrate). Water is affected by nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate. Soil is affected by accumulation of heavy metals, e.g., zinc and copper. No conclusive data are so far available on the impact of drugs from animal treatment in the environment, and no conclusive data are available on safe distances between farms to prevent transmission of infectious diseases and on safe distances between farms and residential areas to prevent transmission of allergens and endotoxins, respectively.

Recommendation:

Welfare of animals

Animal welfare issues in global trade are still an unsolved problem since they were neither dealt with during the Uruguay Round negotiation nor during the Seattle Round. Since the WTO apparently does not have the mechanisms for dealing with the issue, and the Council on Agriculture has not yet established a working group to deal with animal welfare problems, there is no solution in sight. Another major impediment is that at present there are no international bodies dealing with standards and the relationship between animal health and animal welfare. Unless the problems are being solved they will continue to receive public and media attention. National and international trade will increasingly be influenced by consumers and retailers who are making sure that their products are originating from farms using humane practices.

Recommendations:

Fin fish and shell fish farming

During the last decades the world's production of fish and shellfish (molluscs and crustacea) expanded rapidly. Whilst capture fisheries production increased only slightly, output from aquaculture (farmed fish, shellfish and algae) grew strongly. Fish, shellfish and fishery products are widely traded and the international trade has continued to grow at an accelerating rate in recent years. In 1996, some 195 countries exported part of their production and this international trade accounted for about 40% of total production from capture fisheries and aquaculture. Aquaculture contributed over 20% of the global fisheries production (and 29% of food fish) and it continues to grow at approximately 9% p.a. There is considerable potential for further expansion of aquaculture. For much of the expansion in aquaculture movement of live fish and shellfish between countries has been a necessity, but has contributed significantly to the occurrence and spread of economically-serious diseases in the industry, e.g. white spot disease in farmed shrimp, Bonamiosis and Haplosporidiosis of oysters, the parasite Gyrodactylus salaris in fish, to name a few. Multibillion dollar losses and severe socio-economic effects in terms of losses of millions of jobs are the consequences of such introductions of damaging diseases. Some countries have realised that grave mistakes have been made, most could have been avoided. Therefore they have introduced internal controls on transfers of live and dead aquatic species and also stricter control on imports. Quarantine and health certification programmes are a first line of defence against introduction or transfer of exotic fish and shellfish diseases. At present the OIE International Aquatic Animal Health Code provides the only international standards recognised under the SPS Agreement of the WTO for health certification requirements for international trade in fish and shellfish.

Recommendation:

Impact of wildlife on the health status of our industries

From an historic perspective, national and international animal health regulations have been directed specifically to the health and disease concerns for traditional domesticated livestock species. However, it has long been recognised that many wild mammals and birds are susceptible to, can be infected by, and can transmit a number of very serious domestic animal diseases. With increased recognition of the disease threats of free-ranging or farmed wildlife species to domestic animals, concern has arisen with respect to the substantial implications to trade and to the unrestricted international movement of animals and animal products. Likewise, domestic livestock are potential reservoirs of important diseases to wildlife and farmed wild species. However, despite that potentially negative impact the expanded diversity offered by farmed wildlife on the economics of agriculture reflects substantial positive benefits. Our animal industries are "healthier" as a result of this increased diversity.

Recommendation:

Preventing the spread of exotic diseases by global trade

Live animals but also animal products are by far the most important vehicles for spreading diseases by trade. Each country has the right to stop importation if the risk analysis demonstrates an unacceptable risk. Rules for risk analysis are laid down in the Animal Health Code of the OIE. The Animal Health Code regulates more than 80 diseases and assists the Veterinary Administrations to use it in developing their animal health measures applicable to imports and exports of animals and animal products. The recommendations in the Code are designed to prevent diseases being introduced into the importing country, taking into account the nature of the commodity and the animal health status of the exporting country. This means that, correctly applied, they ensure that the intended importation can take place with an optimal level of sanitary security, incorporating the latest scientific findings and available techniques. In other words, each recommendation relating to a disease is based on the assumption that the importing country is free of that disease.
It is recognised that new challenges result from the increased influence of multinational companies on the capability of governments to adequately enforce regulations aimed at preventing movements of disease through trade.

Recommendations:

Modern technologies improving trade of germplasm

Modern reproductive biotechnologies relying on gametes or embryos are particularly well adapted to global trade and they can partially replace traditional exchange and trade of domesticated animals over short and long distances. Thereby welfare problems can be avoided and health risks arising from infectious agents can be greatly reduced. In addition costs are significantly cut down.

Recommendation: