USDA Proposes Scrapie Rule
Restricting Sheep Movement

DENVER - A proposed rule to help the sheep industry control scrapie by restricting the interstate movement of sheep was issued last week by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

"This is an exciting and positive move for the sheep industry," said Cindy Siddoway, an Idaho sheep producer and president of the American Sheep Industry Association. "ASI has pressed hard for three years for new rules and programs to control and we hope to ultimately eradicate scrapie from our flocks. This proposed rule will give us an essential tool to get this done."

The proposed rule, called "Scrapie in Sheep and Goats; Interstate Movement Restrictions and Indemnity Program," appears to be generally consistent with what the industry suggested be done when it commented in 1998 on an "advance notice of proposed rulemaking" concerning the interstate movement of sheep, Siddoway said.

ASI is reviewing the proposed rule in depth and is preparing comments on the rule. The deadline for comments is December 30.

The proposed rule addresses three major changes:

? Restricting the interstate movement of sheep and goats from states that do not consider scrapie a reportable disease or do not quarantine infected flocks or source flocks.

? Adding identification requirements for the interstate movement of sheep and goats to allow for a more effective national scrapie surveillance program and traceback of disease-positive animals.

? Reinstating a scrapie indemnification program for sheep and goats that are euthanized to prevent further spread of the disease.

The proposed APHIS regulation only applies to flock owners who wish to move sheep or goats from state to state. Movement within a state's boundaries of animals from infected flocks is not restricted in some states and poses a risk of transmitting scrapie to other animals within a state. These other animals could then spread the disease between states. The proposed rule will restrict the movement of sheep and goats from these states, according to a statement from APHIS.

"We are concerned about the possibility of scrapie being spread from one state to another," said Alfonso Torres, APHIS deputy administrator for veterinary services. "These changes would help protect all American livestock."

Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative neurological disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. Scrapie has had a significant impact on the sheep industry and has caused financial losses to sheep producers across the country.

The proposed rule on scrapie should also help the industry increase its global competitiveness, ASI believes. President Clinton in July decided a 201 trade case against the surge of lamb meat imports. He ordered tariffs be imposed for three years and also pledged $100 million in assistance to the industry to boost competitiveness.

The industry will undergo a mid-term review in about 14 months to assess its progress toward competitiveness. A high priority benchmark the industry will be judged by is progress reducing sheep diseases such as scrapie.

"This proposed rule is an aggressive move against scrapie, a move that has been long sought by ASI," Siddoway said. "The ultimate benefits to the industry far outweigh the short-term hardships that regulations like this will cause."

The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on Nov. 30, can be located on the Internet at www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.