China's top legislature adopted the amendment to the law on
animal epidemic prevention on Thursday, which asks all animal
owners to comply with compulsory vaccination policies, especially
owners of poultry and livestock bred in rural backyards, and pets
in urban houses.
The revised law, approved by lawmakers attending the 29th
session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
(NPC), which was to be effective on January 1, 2008, was aimed at
preventing future animal epidemics and lower their social and
economic impact.
"With an increasing demand for meat, eggs and milk products, the
country's animal husbandry sector continues to expand and new
animal diseases keep emerging," said an official with the Ministry
of Agriculture.
The revised law sets up a compulsory animal vaccination system,
requiring immunization of animals against diseases harmful to
people's health and husbandry industry.
It made clear that animals stated in the law "include pets" and
all stipulations on animal immunization in the law were "fit for
pets".
Lawmakers during the session this week proposed that the law
should include more detailed and systematic stipulations on pets as
pets, especially dogs, have caused "a string of social problems",
such as dogs excrement, loud barking, growing number of abandoned
and stray dogs, and more attacks on human beings by dogs.
Statistics show Beijing alone sees more than 703,800 dogs have
been registered, and the total number of dogs including those
unregistered might be bigger.
More than 90,000 people in Beijing were injured by cats and dogs
in the first six months of this year, up almost 34 percent from the
same period last year, according to statistics.
Rabies has stayed atop the list of fatal infectious diseases in
China for more than a year, claiming 1,551 lives in the first seven
months of this year, according to the Ministry of Health.
Local governments above the county level would have to set up a
surveillance network to monitor animal diseases, according to the
revised law, which will replace the current Animal Epidemic
Prevention Law that came into effect on January 1, 1998.
Veterinary departments at the central and provincial levels are
obligated to issue early warnings against possible outbreaks based
on thorough epidemiological study, it says.
The law also demands a prompt and transparent reporting system,
saying all government agencies, businesses and individuals must
immediately report outbreaks of animal diseases to veterinary
departments.
Officials and government employees, who fail to take prompt
preventative measures, delay reporting or try to cover up outbreaks
of animal diseases should be disciplined, according to the law.
Animal owners will face a fine less than 1,000 yuan (US$132) for
violation of vaccination rules or poor disinfection measures, a
fine less than 3,000 yuan (US$395) for mishandling ill animals,
their excrement and dead bodies, and a fine no more than five times
the total value of animals for transporting or storing infected
animals.
Business owners will face a fine between 1,000 yuan (US$132)and
10,000 yuan (US$1,316) for running animal breeding farms or
slaughtering houses without government licenses, the law says.
It also stipulates that organizers of shows or games with
animals that have not received vaccination will be fined up to
3,000 yuan (US$395).
Veterinary institutions that cause a spread of animal disease
will be fined between 10,000 and 50,000 yuan (US$6,579) or revoked
of business license if the case was serious, it says.
The Chinese government announced earlier that it would increase
investment in the prevention and control of animal epidemics and
set up a new national prevention system on animal diseases by
2008.
To ensure transparency, the revised law requires the State
Council's veterinary department to report promptly outbreaks of
animal diseases to relevant army organizations.
Information about serious outbreaks should also be reported quickly
to relevant international organizations and trade partners, the law
says.
As the world's largest producer of poultry, livestock and
aquatic products, China has much to lose from outbreaks of animal
diseases. It is estimated that animal diseases cost China 40
billion yuan annually.
China has reported a total of 25 human cases of bird flu since
2003, which have resulted in 16 deaths.
In July, about 47,000 pigs were infected by blue-ear pig
disease, down 51.5 percent from the previous month, according to
the Ministry of Agriculture.
By August 22, China had administered 314 million milliliters of
vaccine to immunize more than 100 million pigs. By then, the
disease had infected 257,000 pigs in 26 Chinese provinces, of which
68,000 died and 175,000 were destroyed.
The vaccinated pigs will no longer be infected by the highly
pathogenic disease, according to the ministry.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that China
vaccinated six billion poultry and 850 million livestock in the
first half of 2006.
The country has also set up a monitoring network, covering
49,000 large and 80,000 individual poultry farms, 900 pig farms and
2,000 markets trading animal products.
(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2007)
