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Game & Fish Implements Ban On Importation Of Deer & Elk
5/20/02
Arizona Game and Fish
TUCSON – Arizona Game and Fish Department Director Duane Shroufe on May 18 initiated an emergency statewide ban on the importation of cervids (all members of the family cervidae, which includes deer and elk) to help protect Arizona’s native ungulates from the chronic wasting disease.
In a parallel and complimentary move, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission adopted an emergency commission rule to formalize the cervid ban. However, the emergency commission rule cannot be implemented until reviewed and approved by the Arizona Attorney General’s office. The director’s ban is immediate.
Chronic wasting disease – a disease for which there is no effective live animal test – was originally detected in captive deer in Colorado and Wyoming, but is expanding rapidly and has now been confirmed in free-ranging deer in areas of Nebraska, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Alberta, Canada.
The Game and Fish Commission adopted a “Notice of Emergency Rulemaking” on May 18 to preclude the movement of captive cervids (all members of the family cervidae, which includes deer and elk) into Arizona as a preventative measure to help protect the state’s free-ranging and captive deer and elk populations from chronic wasting disease.
The rule includes the following provisions:
· No cervid designated as restricted live wildlife in R12-4-406 (A) (9)(b) can be imported into Arizona.
· All cervids currently in Arizona under the authority of the a Game and Fish issued game farm or zoo license shall be required to be permanently marked with either a tattoo or a microchip at the time this proposed rule is enacted.
· Game farm and zoo license operators shall be required to submit the head of any cervid that dies on their premises or under their control to the Arizona Vet Diagnostic Laboratory for analysis for CWD.
· All facilities that maintain cervids under a game farm or zoo license shall be required to keep records of animals moved onto or off of the facility and to provide these reports to the department by a specified date.
Under the state’s emergency rule-making provisions, the commission’s emergency rulemaking to address chronic wasting disease will be reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office and if approved, will become law for a period of 180 days, with the option of a single 180-day renewal.
During the effective period of the emergency rule, Game and Fish needs to pursue regular rulemaking to permanently establish the provisions of the rule. The regular rulemaking process will include a public outreach campaign so the public has opportunities for input on the proposed rule and its economic impacts.
Research Branch Chief Jim deVos explained that chronic wasting disease was first recognized by biologists in the 1960s as a disease syndrome of captive deer held in wildlife research facilities in Ft. Collins, Colo.
“Chronic wasting disease was not recognized as a transmissible disease until the late 1970s. This disease was subsequently recognized in captive deer, and later in captive elk, from wildlife research facilities near Ft. Collins, Kremmling, and Meeker, Colorado, and Wheatland, Wyoming, as well as in at least two zoological collections,” deVos said.
More recently, CWD has been diagnosed in privately owned elk residing on game ranches in several Western states and provinces. It is unknown whether the disease originated in captive or wild-ranging deer and elk.
“Much of the information we have on this disease comes from the endemic area of northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming where it appears that, on average, CWD probably infects about 5 to 15 percent of the deer in the area. Modeling of the impact of this disease indicates that this rate of infection is sufficient to suppress deer population levels in this area,” deVos said.
DeVos explained that chronic wasting disease has now been detected in areas of Nebraska, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Alberta, Canada. Saskatchewan has spent approximately $30 million in attempts to eradicate the disease from infected game farms.
“One of the problems with the disease is that it is virtually impossible to eradicate once it enters an area,” deVos said, adding that there is no live animal test for the disease so an agency cannot implement testing to eliminate infected animals.
Second, there is a long incubation period associated with the disease. “Some of the research that has been completed suggests that the incubation period may exceed 36 months, and perhaps even longer.”
A significant issue with CWD, deVos said, is that one measure to help control or contain its spread is instituting extreme reductions of deer and elk densities. That would entail removing large numbers of deer or elk that otherwise could be harvested by hunters. “That means loss of revenues to wildlife agencies, but also means the loss of wildlife-related tourism dollars. That could really hurt rural communities,” he said.
“Given the nature of this disease, our best defense is to do what we can to ensure chronic wasting disease doesn’t enter Arizona in the first place,” deVos told the commission.
5/20/02
Arizona Game and Fish
TUCSON – Arizona Game and Fish Department Director Duane Shroufe on May 18 initiated an emergency statewide ban on the importation of cervids (all members of the family cervidae, which includes deer and elk) to help protect Arizona’s native ungulates from the chronic wasting disease.
In a parallel and complimentary move, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission adopted an emergency commission rule to formalize the cervid ban. However, the emergency commission rule cannot be implemented until reviewed and approved by the Arizona Attorney General’s office. The director’s ban is immediate.
Chronic wasting disease – a disease for which there is no effective live animal test – was originally detected in captive deer in Colorado and Wyoming, but is expanding rapidly and has now been confirmed in free-ranging deer in areas of Nebraska, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Alberta, Canada.
The Game and Fish Commission adopted a “Notice of Emergency Rulemaking” on May 18 to preclude the movement of captive cervids (all members of the family cervidae, which includes deer and elk) into Arizona as a preventative measure to help protect the state’s free-ranging and captive deer and elk populations from chronic wasting disease.
The rule includes the following provisions:
· No cervid designated as restricted live wildlife in R12-4-406 (A) (9)(b) can be imported into Arizona.
· All cervids currently in Arizona under the authority of the a Game and Fish issued game farm or zoo license shall be required to be permanently marked with either a tattoo or a microchip at the time this proposed rule is enacted.
· Game farm and zoo license operators shall be required to submit the head of any cervid that dies on their premises or under their control to the Arizona Vet Diagnostic Laboratory for analysis for CWD.
· All facilities that maintain cervids under a game farm or zoo license shall be required to keep records of animals moved onto or off of the facility and to provide these reports to the department by a specified date.
Under the state’s emergency rule-making provisions, the commission’s emergency rulemaking to address chronic wasting disease will be reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office and if approved, will become law for a period of 180 days, with the option of a single 180-day renewal.
During the effective period of the emergency rule, Game and Fish needs to pursue regular rulemaking to permanently establish the provisions of the rule. The regular rulemaking process will include a public outreach campaign so the public has opportunities for input on the proposed rule and its economic impacts.
Research Branch Chief Jim deVos explained that chronic wasting disease was first recognized by biologists in the 1960s as a disease syndrome of captive deer held in wildlife research facilities in Ft. Collins, Colo.
“Chronic wasting disease was not recognized as a transmissible disease until the late 1970s. This disease was subsequently recognized in captive deer, and later in captive elk, from wildlife research facilities near Ft. Collins, Kremmling, and Meeker, Colorado, and Wheatland, Wyoming, as well as in at least two zoological collections,” deVos said.
More recently, CWD has been diagnosed in privately owned elk residing on game ranches in several Western states and provinces. It is unknown whether the disease originated in captive or wild-ranging deer and elk.
“Much of the information we have on this disease comes from the endemic area of northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming where it appears that, on average, CWD probably infects about 5 to 15 percent of the deer in the area. Modeling of the impact of this disease indicates that this rate of infection is sufficient to suppress deer population levels in this area,” deVos said.
DeVos explained that chronic wasting disease has now been detected in areas of Nebraska, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Alberta, Canada. Saskatchewan has spent approximately $30 million in attempts to eradicate the disease from infected game farms.
“One of the problems with the disease is that it is virtually impossible to eradicate once it enters an area,” deVos said, adding that there is no live animal test for the disease so an agency cannot implement testing to eliminate infected animals.
Second, there is a long incubation period associated with the disease. “Some of the research that has been completed suggests that the incubation period may exceed 36 months, and perhaps even longer.”
A significant issue with CWD, deVos said, is that one measure to help control or contain its spread is instituting extreme reductions of deer and elk densities. That would entail removing large numbers of deer or elk that otherwise could be harvested by hunters. “That means loss of revenues to wildlife agencies, but also means the loss of wildlife-related tourism dollars. That could really hurt rural communities,” he said.
“Given the nature of this disease, our best defense is to do what we can to ensure chronic wasting disease doesn’t enter Arizona in the first place,” deVos told the commission.
