Center for Bio-diversitetEuropean smallholders right |
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. ‘Act before it’s too late!’
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: ‘Never again’.
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 butcher’s work.
Now, to prevent future horror scenario’s 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 ‘The Material and Immaterial Costs of Animal Disease Control’, 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 weren’t there.
In one year’s 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 Brussels’ 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.
“Could 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?”
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.
“Do you agree that the
starting point for disease control should be the risks for
public health and the veterinarian risks? And therefore,
shouldn’t 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?”
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.
“Do other countries have to
experience the same things all over again to come to the same
conclusions?”
“In 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?”
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 can’t
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.
“Could you tell me how you
are going to fill in this responsibility?”
“And what can the European
consumer organisation BEUC do?”
© 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