Center for Bio-diversitet |
It must, however, be clear that non-commercial/pet
holders should have the possibility to vaccinate if their situation demands
such; but by no means should non-commercial / pet holders be obliged to
vaccinate, because the risk of these holdings is almost zero, as many experts
have stated many times.
Now is the time for the European Union to show what is
in fact the worth and added value of being a union to all her inhabitants.
EU Ministers of Agriculture: this is a wake up call.
ëAct before itís too late!í
With the utmost regards on behalf of
Paula Polman MPH, chairman NBvH (Dutch Smallholder Association)
Christine Bijl, Secretary
For more information, please contact:
Paula Polman,
+31.651.13.41.03
Christine
Bijl, +31.342.441911
*) CIDC Lelystad, published on-line December
5, 2005: Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences, DOI:10.1073/pnas.0505098102
On behalf of the supporting organisations below:
NETHERLANS
Aviornis International Nederland - Ing. Peter Kreijger,
Chairman / pkreijger@aviornis.nl / www.aviornis.nl
SZH (Found. Rare Domesticated Farm Animals), Holland
- Dr. Berthold Janszen, Chairman / hgkuit@home.nl / www.szh.nl
NBvH (Dutch Smallholders Association) - Paula Polman,
Chairman / info@hobbydierhouder.nl / www.hobbydierhouder.nl
DENMARK
Center for Biodiversitet, Denmark - Heine Refsing, Chairman
/ heine.refsing@pip.alco.dk / www.biodiverse.dk
Herning og Omegns Fjerkræklub (Local Association
for the social purpose and to keep several different poultry breeds), Denmark
- Søren Thomassen, president / st@KMC.DK
Dommerringen under DFfR, Denmark (National Association
for all Poultry- judgement) - Søren Thomassen, president / st@KMC.DK
FREE FARMERS- LIVING LAND, Denmark - Egon Kjær
Sørensen, Chairman / lyngdalgaard@mail.dk / www.levende-land.dk
Aktiv Gen Bevarelse, Denmark - Susanne Kristensen / Aktiv@genbevaring.dk
/ www.genbevaring.dk
Specialklubben for Chabos og Skæghøns (Danish
specialclub for Chabos and Bartzwerge), Denmark - Benny Pedersen, President
/ chabos@tdcadsl.dk / www.chabosogskaeg.dk
SWEDEN
Förbundet Sveriges Småbrukare (Association
of Swedish Smallhollders), Sweden - Rune Lanestrand, Chairman / rune.lanestrand@swipnet.se
/ www.smabrukaren.o.se
Svenska Rasfjäderfäförbundet, Kyrkbyn
2, SE-535 91 Kvänum, Sweden - Mrs Ingegerd Grönberg, Chairman
/ i.gronberg@telia.com / www.hem.passagen.se
FRANCE
ProNaturA France - Jean Emmanuel Eglin, / Secretary Sylvie.Domon@wanadoo.fr
/ www.pronaturafrance.free.fr
Féd. Française des éleveurs de volailles
et palmipèdes, France - Jean-Claude PERIQUET, Président /
jean-claude.periquet@wanadoo.fr
Aviornis International France Patrick Lalanne, Chairman
BELGIUM
SAVE-Foundation - Staf van den Bergh, Chairman / staf.vandenbergh@skynet.be
/ www.save-foundation.net
SLE (Foundation of Livestock Heritage), Belgium - Jan
Martens, Chairman / Jan.martens@sle.be / www.sle.be
Komitee ter Bescherming van de Hobby (Committee for Protection
of Hobby), Belgium - Luuc van Havere, Chairman / aqualon@versateladsl.be
Aviornis International VWZ, Belgium - Karel Wuijts, Chairman
/ www.aviornis.be
De Dommellandse Dierenvrienden uit Peer, België
- Bert Driessen, Secretary / Bert.Driessen@biw.kuleuven.be / www.users.pandora.be/dommellandse_dierenvrienden
VIVFN (Vlaams Interprovinciaal Verbond van Fokkers van
Neerhofdieren/Flemish Interprovincial Association of Breeders) Vic Lambrighs,
Secretary / vic.lambrighs@skynet.be / www.neerhofdieren.be
GERMANY
Verband für Hühner-, Groß- und Wassergeflügelvereine
(VHGW), (8.300 members), Germany - Michael Freiherr von Lüttwitz,
Chairman / redaktion@gefluegel-boerse.de / www.vhgw.de
Bund Deutscher Rassegeflügelzüchter e.V. (300.000
members) mit Sitz in Offenbach Germany - Präsident: Wilhelm Riebniger
Thomas Zöller (Geschäftsführer), / bdrgev@t-online.de /
www.bdrg.de
VZV Verband der Zwerghuhnzüchter-Vereine e. V. im
BDRG, Germany - Karl Stratmann, / Prasident karl.stratmann@web.de / www.vzv.de
ZEL (Zentralverband europäischer Laufentenhalter/Central
European Association of Runner Duck Keepers), Germany - Alexandra Vogel-Reich,
President / alex@villarosa.de / www.zel-eu.de
Aviornis International Deutschland - Ludger Gehling,
Chairman / www.aviornis.de
UK
Call Duck Association UK - Graham Barnard, Secretary
/ www.callducks.net
The Indian Runner Duck Association, UK - Richard Sadler,
Secretary / leicestertheduck@btinternet.com / www.runnerduck.net
Aviornis International UK - Laurie Crampton, Secretary
/ Laurie@coldarbor.demon.co.uk / www.aviornis.co.uk
BWA (British waterfowl Association), United Kingdom -
Sue Schubert, Secretary / info@waterfowl.org.uk / www.waterfowl.org.uk
The Goose Club, United Kingdom - Denise Moss, Secretary
/ ashwyn@waitrose.com / www.users.waitrose.com/~ashwyn
LUXEMBOURG
Preisrichtervereinigung Sparte Geflügel mit Sitz
in Luxemburg - Präsident: Théo Schmitz 49, rue de la Chapelle,
L- 9513 Wiltz
Rassegeflügelclub Luxemburg mit Sitz in Luxemburg
- Präsident: Théo Schmitz 49, rue de la Chapelle, L-
9513 Wiltz
Der Verband der Luxemburger Kleintierzüchtervereine
/ Union des Sociétés avicoles du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
(U.S.A.L.) - Präsidentin: Sylvie Andrich-Duval 11, rue du Château
Fort, L- 3472 Dudelange / andrich@pt.lu / http://homepage.internet.lu/usalhp/
AUSTRIA
Kleintierzuchtverbandes Straßwalchen und
Umgebung S-7 Austria - Klinger
Friedrich, Obmann
Sparte Tauben Österreich, Austria -
Klinger Friedrich, Bundesobmann / aon.912468781@aon.at
/ www.kleintierzucht-roek.at/tauben/rasseneinteilung
SPAIN
Sociedad Española para los Recursos Genéticos
Animales, Spain - Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Secretary
/ id1debej@uco.es / www.uco.es/serga
RED CYTED XII-H, Spain (Red Iberoamericana
Sobre la Conservación de la Biodiversidad de los animales Domésticos
Locales para el Desarrollo Rural Sustentable) - Juan
Vicente Delgado Bermejo, International Coordinator, / id1debej@uco.es
/ www.uco.es/grupos/cyted
EUROPE
Entente Européenne d'aviculture et de cuniculture
/ Europaverband für Geflügel-, Kaninchen-, Tauben-
und Caviazucht mit Sitz in Luxemburg
Präsident: Urs Freiburghaus. Thomas Zöller
(Geschäftsführer), / bdrgev@t-online.de / www.entente-ee.com
affiliated organisations in following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark,
France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom,Yugoslav Republic
USA
International Wild Waterfowl Association, USA
- Ali Lubbock, Secretary / sylvanhts@coastalnet.com
/ www.wildwaterfowl.org
Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities,
USA - Christine Heinrichs, Publicity Director
SPPA / christine.heinrichs@gmail.com / 5417 Park Meadow
Dr. Madison, Wisconsin /www.feathersite.com/Poultry/SPPA/SPPA.html
In the past years we, smallholders in Holland, and you, smallholders in Denmark and Germany, have been confronted with animal diseases and the devastating consequences of government policy in fighting these diseases.
We all remember the horrifying footage of burning piles of dead animals in the UK and of the merciless cranes dumping animals into containers at farms in the Netherlands, during the FMD-crisis (in both countries).
We also remember what we all said back then: ëNever againí.
But only two years later the Netherlands were struck again, this time by Avian Influenza. And all the drastic measures were issued again, with the same horrifying scenes as a result. People were appalled and even resisted the officials fiercely in their butcherís work.
Now, to prevent future horror scenarioís and change future policy, smallholders and people keeping chickens, ducks, goats and/or sheep in the backyard just for fun have united into a Dutch association to try to clear the way for a different policy.
At the last EU-conference, on ëThe Material and Immaterial Costs of Animal Disease Controlí, in Brussels on 15 and 16 December 2004, this association, the Dutch Association of Smallholders, has tried very hard to make its point heard. The various country representatives did listen, but as yet our plea has remained without any outcome. We greatly missed support from associations from other countries. They just werenít there.
In one yearís time, the presidency of the EU will be with the UK. By that time we aim to have teamed up with organisations similar to our own in other EU countries, considering your special interest.
Together we can make a far greater impact in Brussels. For one, they will no longer be able to discard our issue as being just a Dutch problem.
To give you a more substantiated idea of what we stand for, I send you herewith the brochure and poster we made for the conference in Brussels, mentioned here above. I have enclosed a copy of the questions we asked the conference panel at the same Brusselsí Conference, and the press release as well.
If, by any chance, you should know of more organisations that might be interested in our cause than the ones I have written to now, please spread the word about us and/or let us know about them, so we will be able to create as wide a support as we can get.
I hope to receive your, positive, reaction at your earliest convenience.
On behalf of the Dutch Association of Smallholders (Nederlandse Belangenvereniging van Hobbydierhouders),
Yours sincerely,
Christine Bijl-van der Made email: christinebijl@planet.nl
Also read: "All Animals are Equal ?? - Towards Differentiation in Animal Disease Control" (NBVH 2004) download PDF
Preventative mass killing of healthy animals as a means to fight animal diseases is no longer acceptable to the public. There is no need and no social support for it anymore. This is the issue the Dutch smallholders will present at the EU conference on animal disease control on December 15 and 16, in Brussels.
During the large scale outbreaks of Swine Fever, Foot
and Mouth Disease and Avian Influenza in the Netherlands, smallholders
were, wrongfully, treated similarly to the commercial holdings. As a result
hundreds of thousands of healthy animals were killed/destroyed and tens
of thousands of smallholders were struck.
When we consider animal disease control, we must take
into account the importance of this large group of smallholders that outnumbers
the commercial holdings by far. Representatives of the Dutch smallholders
will plea in Brussels for differentiation of disease control without having
to consider economic interest where smallholders are concerned. The issues
for animal disease control concerning smallholders should be:
a realistic estimate of veterinary risks, respect for
life itself and for the relationship between man and animals, and the importance
of genetic variety and biodiversity.
Because of the way animals of smallholders are kept there is hardly any risk of infection and of spreading the disease. As was proven in the past years. And if there are any risks these can be controlled by stand still and vaccination. According to the Dutch smallholders this is the only way we can get animal disease control socially accepted in the future.
In Brussels the Dutch smallholders will be represented
by Paula Polman, Geesje Kuit and Sible Westendorp.
Questions for the panel, on behalf of the Dutch smallholders:
1. Smallholders pre-eminently contribute to maintaining/protecting
biodiversity.
They help prevent extinction of rare breeds. FAO instructs
governments to
protect these animals/species. The EU endorses this and
so do the member states.
ìCould you tell us how much of
the European directives on this subject have already been transmitted into
the national contingency plans on animal disease control?î
2. There are many more smallholders than commercial holders.
In every country there are different types of smallholders (there are those
who have animals just for their pleasure and those who breed special/rare
breeds and also those who keep animals as a supplementary food supply for
the family). During the large scale outbreaks of the past years smallholders
have been treated similarly to the big commercial holders, whereas they
mostly represent very different actual veterinary risks, as the research
results showed.
ìDo you agree that the starting
point for disease control should be the risks for public health and the
veterinarian risks? And therefore, shouldnít there be a differentiation
in control for smallholders and commercial holders? And do you agree that
vaccination should be a more important means to fight animal diseases?î
3. The European countries that have had to eradicate healthy
animals in the past years. All had the same findings:
killing healthy animals has no ethical and social support.
ìDo other countries have to experience
the same things all over again to come to the same conclusions?î
ìIn view of a possible connection between Creutzfeldt-Jakob and scrapie, can you answer for the persevering measures of drastic selection on the basis of genotypes in breeding sheep, considering the limited scientific views on the subject?î
Europe supports maintaining genetic biodiversity, but by issuing these extreme measures they only contribute to genetic impoverishment of the population of sheep, with all the risks evolving.
4. Vaccination for FMD is possible now. Yet, up to now
no directives for animal disease control by means of vaccination, have
been made. The various parties just canít agree on who is to pay. The choice
is either kill the vaccinated animals, including the animals of smallholders,
or keep them alive, in which case farmers get duped because the meat industry
will not take vaccinated products. As a representative of the meat and
dairy industry, you have a great social responsibility here.
ìCould you tell me how you are
going to fill in this responsibility?î
ìAnd what can the European consumer
organisation BEUC do?î
© Center for Bio-diversitet. Denmark
latest update dec. 2005.
Please link to - http://www.biodiverse.dk - only! / Please do not frame !
Center for Bio-diversitet is an independent NGO/CSO information-center. We aim to promote biological diversity and the protection and conservation of old and new varieties with valuable characteristics.
Editor: Heine Refsing