Embargo on Imported Stock

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 71, 16 December 1933, Page 11

Embargo on Imported Stock

Sir, —Much has been said and written on the subject of foot and mouth disease, but it would be interesting to discover whether those who voted against the, importation of stock from Great Britain and countries where efficient veterinary services and quarantine regulations are available, have really considered the subject from any angle except that which, as they think, is the only certain way of preventing such scourges as foot and mouth disease from reaching our shores, I should say that the chances of stock imported from Great Britain and subjected to rigid veterinary inspection and quarantine at both ends of the journey bringing infection to this country are about one in a million; at least Australia, America and other countries, to whom the introduction of foot and mouthdisease, anthrax, pleura-pneumonia and swine fever, etc., would be just as disastrous as to ourselves, evidently consider the risks negligible. I do not know whether it is generally known that two outbreaks of foot. and mouth disease occurred in Australia in 1872 when, no doubt, regulations, were not as stringent as at present, if indeed there were regulations at all. These outbreaks were checked and have never reappeared. Much stock of all descriptions was imported into, this country in the early days with no disastrous results. It would, therefore, seem that the risks indeed are negligible when rigid quarantine and inspection are enforced at both ends. There must be numerous avenues by which such diseases as I have mentioned 'can arrive in this country which are entirely disregarded or not appreciated. The outbreak of swine fever in the Wellington district recently is an example of a disease appearing mysteriously through some 'unknown avenue, entirely unsuspected. This disease might just as easily have been foot and mouth disease or rinderpest. The moral I wish to emphasise is that those who are confident that, by enforcing the embargo on the importation of stock, they are-securing this country against the introduction of such scourges as foot and mouth, are living in a fool’s paradise, and would be well-advised to direct their energies to discovering likely and unsuspected avenues and drawing up regulations that will close these avenues as securely as is humanly possible.—l am, etc.. VIGILANT Marton, December 12.