Page 4 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Page 4 – Australian Pork Newspaper, April 2021
www.porknews.com.au
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It is therefore imperative that producers facilitate their own strong biose- curity practices by sup- porting their transporters and doing their own thor- ough pre-load inspection of every pig.
Just as everyone has a role to play in protecting
If you’d like one, contact Rachael Bryant at rachael. bryant@australianpork. com.au or call 02 6270 8823.
Animal welfare during transport is everyone’s responsibility
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WITH heightened in- dustry focus on bios- ecurity, it is important that we consider the implications biosecurity measures can have on our supply chain part- ners, such as livestock transporters.
via spray marking or ear tag, be pre-notified to the abattoir, be noted on the PigPass National Vendor Declaration and loaded at the rear of the truck, so they can be unloaded first and easily separated.
and maintaining the in- dustry’s biosecurity during loading and trans- port, everyone has a role to play in ensuring animal welfare is not compro- mised as a result.
When transporting live- stock, it is essential they are managed in a way that reduces stress and mini- mises any risks to animal welfare.
sessment and selection as ‘fit for the intended journey’, feed and water provision and holding pe- riods before loading
may only get to inspect the pigs as they ascend the ramp or step onto the truck after the animal has crossed the farm’s bios- ecurity clean-dirty line, a defined point of no return.
Proper assessment of fit- ness to load ensures pig welfare is not compro- mised and that neither the producer or transporter are going to be reported for loading and trans- porting an animal not fit for the intended journey.
The APL ‘Is it fit for the intended journey’ guide is available via the website at australianpork. com.au/wp-content/ uploads/2018/08/ FFTIJ-A-Guide-Final- Document.pdf
All parties need to comply with the Aus- tralian Animal Welfare Standards and Guide- lines – Land Transport of Livestock and relevant state and territory legis- lation, which requires a thorough understanding of roles and responsibili- ties by both producers and transporters – ani malwelfarestandards.net. au/files/2015/12/Land- transport-of-livestock- Standards-and-Guide- lines-Version-1.-1-21-Sep- tember-2012.pdf
• The driver or trans- porting company is re- sponsible for the livestock from the point of loading of livestock (including inspection and assess- ment of livestock during loading), to the point of unloading and notifying the receiver of the live- stock at the destination, and
Abattoirs and saleyards also have a duty of care to the livestock they receive.
The guide has been developed to assist pro- ducers and stockpeople handling pigs to make informed decisions con- cerning the fitness of stock prior to and during loading.
While legislation varies between states, a person in charge must exercise a duty of care to ensure the welfare of livestock under their control, and compli- ance with these transport standards.
• The receiver is respon- sible for the livestock after unloading.
The summarised chain of responsibility for live- stock welfare in the trans- port process is:
Generally, piggeries im- plementing best-practice biosecurity would pre- vent a transporter from walking the holding yards to inspect stock prior to loading, which is con- trary to what the transport standards require.
• The livestock con- signor is responsible for the livestock until they are loaded onto the transport vehicle, including the as-
As such, transporters
A pig with an ailment but deemed still fit to load must be clearly identified
All parties need to comply with the relevant state and territory legislation, which requires a thorough understanding of roles and responsibilities by both producers and transporters.
by BJORN LUDVIGSEN
Rejecting an animal identified as unfit for the journey beyond this point becomes a challenge as it cannot re-enter the farm, cannot continue the journey and often cannot be drafted to a holding pen.
If they receive an animal they deem unfit for the journey taken, these live- stock will be managed ac- cording to their policies and procedures, which may include reporting to the department for inves- tigation.
Printed copies are also freely available.
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However, when it comes to the livestock transport- er’s responsibility under these standards, they now face a serious challenge.
If an animal is not fit for the journey, the producer must then either treat the animal and reassess, con- sult their veterinarian, or humanely euthanise the animal via an approved means.
Under the microscope: Australia’s efforts to curb antimicrobial resistance
THE Australian Gov- ernment has published the final progress report for Australia’s first na- tional Antimicrobial Re- sistance Strategy 2015– 2019, detailing efforts to limit the incidence of antimicrobial resistance in Australia.
AMR is recognised as one of the most serious
In 2020, the Australian Government released the national Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2020 and Beyond, and an- nounced more than $22.5 million over four years in the 2020–21 budget to implement it.
“These combined ef- forts aim to minimise the emergence and spread of drug-resistant organ- isms in Australia, and the region will ensure antimicrobial medicines continue to be effective and available to treat in- fections into the future,” Minister Hunt said.
“Our new national AMR strategy will be supported with initiatives including developing a
For more information, visit amr.gov.au
health problems facing the world.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said the report identified important AMR initia- tives and the collabora- tive efforts by govern- ment and private sector organisations across the One Health sectors of human and animal health, food and the en- vironment.
standing of how antimi- crobials enter our envi- ronment and accumulate over time.
One Health surveillance system, a national anti- microbial resistance re- search and development agenda and a national monitoring and evalua- tion framework.”
As bacteria, viruses and fungi continue to develop resistance to existing medications, this presents a greater risk of serious health impacts, as well as affecting food production and the livelihoods and security of producers.
“It’s not just limited to hospital floors, drug- resistant bacteria, viruses and fungi can evolve in any environment,” Min- ister Ley said.
Minister Ley is a member of the One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.
Minister for Agri- culture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud said that globally the use of antibiotics in livestock had been recognised as a potential source for anti- microbial resistance.
“We have seen anti- biotic dispensing rates for Australians steadily decrease, down approxi- mately 13 percent since a peak in 2015, equating to around two million fewer prescriptions dispensed, which is a really positive development.
“Australia is a world leader in minimising the use of antibiotics in food- producing animals, which means that there is a low risk of developing anti- microbial resistance from animals in this country,” Minister Littleproud said.
“This and other initia- tives show there is in- creasing understanding and awareness among doctors and the commu- nity of the importance of only using antibiotics when absolutely neces- sary.”
“We have introduced regulatory and industry changes to ensure regis- tered animal antimicro- bials that are medically important for human health no longer claim to promote growth in ani- mals.”
Minister for the En- vironment Sussan Ley said Australian research is adding to our under-
The Australian Government announced more than $22.5 million over four years for the national Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2020 and Beyond.