AI update 3rd june

[Ronnie]

Just found this on elimar pigeons website i hope you dont mind me cutting and pasting it here.

VIEW FROM THE REDDINGS

 

by Peter Bryant

 

AI UPDATE JUNE 3RD 2008

 

The following is an extract from the Federation Colombophile Francaise (FCF) our French counterparts

 

“I have pleasure in sending you a copy of notification from our Ministry of Agriculture which modifies the directives of 20 July 2007 and 24 January 2008. This is signed by the ministers for Agriculture and Ecology.

 

In future pigeons from EU countries will be allowed to compete from France in the event of an outbreak of AI in their home country provided that any such outbreak is confined to a single ecological unit. This brings them into line with the situation in France and is of course dependent on any directives in operation in their home country.

 

We believe that this decision by AFSAA (the agency that looks into diseases) is very positive for the pigeon sport and we hope will go some way towards keeping the sport alive.

 

Their advice is that the epidemiological role played by pigeons in the spread of AI is minimal and that pigeons racing under the above conditions pose a level of risk that is nil or negligible.

 

This is an extraordinary advance which has been made possible by the FCI lobbying of the EU. We suggest that this should be published in your weekly journal.”

 

The following is an extract from a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

 

“We have been asked to review the position of racing pigeons with regards to AI following a request from Afssa. On 30th April Afssa came to the conclusion that a relaxation of the directives covering racing pigeons was preferable given the low risks they posed. This information can be seen on their website www.afssa.fr

 

The Committee discussed this advice in May and can now issue a new directive as from June 2008.

 

Low level risk assessment category had now been changed to:

 

No participation by international pigeons from countries affected by more than one outbreak of AI.

 

No participation by international pigeons in races which depart from or fly over countries where there is more than one outbreak of AI.

 

Participation by international pigeons from countries affected by a single outbreak of AI are authorised with the exception of pigeons from the infected zone.  

 

Participation by international pigeons in races that depart from or fly over countries where there is a single outbreak of AI will be permitted with the exception of pigeons from the infected zone.”

 

The General Manager writes:  this is positive news from the French Government in that they will not necessarily exclude all pigeons from a country with AI.  There will be conditions applied.  

 

DEFRA has been forwarded this information and, as matter of course in reviewing the Veterinary Risk Assessment, they asked the British Embassy in Paris to clarify the situation with the French Ministry.   They became aware that an announcement was to be made by the French Ministry.  We continue to push DEFRA for the revised Veterinary Risk Assessment which is taking longer than we expected.

 

Peter Bryant, General Manager, The Royal Pigeon Racing Association