On Thursday and Friday, June 1-2, the international conference on spreading in the Europe of African swine fever (ASF) and control of the disease, was held at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Participants in the conference were Mr. Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety and representatives of the European Commission, Mr. Jānis Dūklavs, the Latvian Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Tarmo Tamm, the Estonian Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Bronius Markauskas, the Lithuanian Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Jari Leppä, the Finish Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, representatives of the Ministries, veterinary services and experts from Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, and Ukraine as well as representatives of the European Food Safety Authority and the World Animal Health Organization.
The participants in the conference in Riga shared their experience on measures to control ASF spreading and discussed topicalities related to elimination of ASF. The representative of the European Food Safety Authority presented information on conclusions of the latest scientific research and the future plans. The Deputy Director of the World Animal Health Organization informed the participants in the conference on the amendments to ASF Chapter of the Terrestrial Animal Code, adopted at the 85th Session-general.
Participants in the international conference came to a conclusion that a natural spreading of ASF among the population of wild boars is much slower as compared with a human factor that can accelerate the spreading risk of the virus.
In order to reduce the spreading risk of the virus, reduction of the population of wild boars must be continued as well as animal owners and hunters must comply with biosafety requirements.
Education campaign to raise public awareness must definitely be continued, involving animal owners, veterinarians, hunters’ association and representatives of the forest sector. Travelers must be informed on the ASF spreading risk when transporting pigmeat and pigmeat products.
The Commissioner, Ministers and representatives of veterinary services consider that the requirements of biosafety must be strictly followed, by daily control on compliance with these requirements at animal sheds and hunting managements.
Whereas, researchers must continue researching on how ASF virus interrelates with the ecosystem of the part of the Europe where the disease outbreak occurred. Data analysis of all the affected States must be continued, involving experts of the States, affected by ASF and using their experience.
At the press conference, on Friday June, 2, Mr. Jānis Dūklavs, the Minister for Agriculture thanked Mr. Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner, representatives of the European Commission and all participants in the conference for their constructive work. ”The conference was basically the discussion among professionals. Just the experience of professionals was decisive here,” pointed out Jānis Dūklavs, the Minister for Agriculture. “It is important that we agreed on the readiness of all the States to share information, as African swine fever is not the problem of one single State.”