Fw: Advocates for Animals'' latest Press Statement in response to Bird Flu

Originally from: coleen
                        

----- Original Message -----
From: ...

Originally from: "Alexis Lacy" <...>
To: <...>
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 6:07 PM
Subject: Advocates for Animals' latest Press Statement in response to Bird Flu

PRESS STATEMENT
Thursday 6 April 2006 – For Immediate Use

IN RESPONSE TO THE CONFIRMATION THAT A SWAN IN SCOTLAND HAS DIED OF HIGHLY
PATHOGENIC H5N1 AVIAN FLU VIRUS, ADVOCATES FOR ANIMALS HAS ISSUED THE
FOLLOWING STATEMENT:

PANIC-DRIVEN MASS SLAUGHTER MUST BE AVOIDED AND VACCINATION MUST NOW BE
PRIORITY

"The Scottish Executive must give urgent consideration to the use of
vaccination to prevent this disease spreading into commercial poultry
flocks. Scottish Executive veterinary officials should make contact with
their colleagues in the Netherlands and other countries where such
vaccination has already been used to discuss an effective vaccination
strategy.

The Executive must hold good to its statement made in Scotland's Avian
Influenza Contingency Plan, which comes down against a mass slaughter
policy. Although flocks on infected farms would have to be slaughtered,
healthy birds on all nearby farms must not be slaughtered as happened with
animals during the foot-and-mouth (FMD) crisis in 2001.

The Scottish Executive has ordered all commercial poultry flocks in a
designated Wild Bird Risk Area along the east of Scotland to be housed
indoors. This applies to 260,000 free range birds on 40 farms. It is
essential that the Executive gives guidance to farmers as to how to
properly
cater for the welfare of free range birds while housed indoors.

If the virus spreads to commercial flocks, which then have to be
slaughtered, the Executive must ensure that the most humane slaughter
methods are used. In the 2001 FMD outbreak many animals were ineptly
slaughtered and survived for long periods. The 2003 avian flu outbreak in
the Netherlands also involved slaughter methods that caused great animal
suffering. Such mistakes must be avoided in Scotland. The most humane
method
of killing poultry if avian flu spreads to commercial flocks is to kill
the
birds with non-aversive gases i.e. argon or nitrogen. Flooding poultry
sheds
with high levels of carbon dioxide must be avoided, as this gas is highly
aversive to poultry."

– ENDS –

Notes to Editors
For further information or interviews please call Advocates' Director,
Ross
Minett, on 0131 2256039 (07946 517585)

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Originally from: Joyce
                        
May I suggest that anyone who had a form from the SVS [State Vet Service – sounds more like USSE every day]asking for the numbers of poultry kept uses the prepaid envelope to send them some well chosen info from warmwell.com I suggest only a couple of sentences with references as we all know how short their attention span is when it comes to learning anything new.

Joyce

Originally from: mona parr
                        
Good idea Joyce

I dont have poultry thank goodness as 2 dead swans have been removed from my grazing this week for testing
I asked now what?
Nothing ...just wait for results!!

So my summer sheep and lambs have arrived
People still walking dogs as normal
Fishermen fishing as normal
But no doubt if something wrong all hell will let loose!!
Mona
                        

Originally from: mona parr
                        
Not sure what is going on but my message re-dead swans has taken over 2 weeks to come back to me
Heard nothing about tests on swans so assume they died of natural causes--like lead poisoning or swallowing fishing line!!

Having same difficulty of slow return of messages with my own smartgroups forum
Mona
                        

Originally from: frances fish
                        
Well, what do we think of Debby Reynolds letting slip that they knew bird flu was in this country in October last year ? Are we surprised by this coyness to come clean ? Are we surprised at their reticence to share the knowledge ? Sadly no, we are not. Many suspect that the same happened pre 2001 FMD as they ordered posters and made enqiiries about stock piles of timber for the pyres. All routine ?I have a leg with bells on it, too.Nobody in their right mind would trust these lying individuals. It is of particular concern when ,not if, we are in the same boat again. Nothing has changed, no lessons have been learned. We are, in fact, worse off, as many will have had fingers burned in helping(as they thought) in 2001 and will not wish to repeat the experience.There is no trust, there will be no co-operation. What will that mean for halting the spread of a disease ?If lying is a way of life, it does not bode well for any of our futures, does it? Fraances

Originally from: coleen
                        
Hi Francis

I agree with what you write...who in their right minds would believe or feel reassured by anything that 'lot' say!

If bird flu really did get a hold here – how on Earth they would deal with it I have NO idea. We have fmd as a prime example There are far more people who keep chickens in Towns and Cities how are they going to get them to come forward unless (as was happening with fmd – people are once again paid to grass)! A Vet not contracted to DEFRA throughout fmd – told us that. How low can people sink – hey!

I think the word 'truth' is fast becoming obsolete and will fast vanish from our vocabulary...lies seem to get you far further in the World today – good old being honest – sends you to the bottom of the ladder (or worse).

I feel sorry for people who keep poultry (the good caring farmers/owners) but I really fear if bird flu should cross over to humans...because we could not cope, not with our overstretched failing health service. The phrase MASS PANIC springs to mind.

I imagine there are plans to 'save' the so called 'movers and shakers' of this Country of ours, the rest of us will be left to take our chances!

Perhaps 'that lot' are hoping it will ALL go away...and by keeping stum – and burying their heads in the sand the UK will be 'safe'!

What was it that Chamberlain said as he waved that piece of paper about – something along the lines of!
 "Peace in our time,"... look how wrong he got that! Lets hope DEFRA and the people advising it are not under any such false illusions (yes and pigs might fly)....

Coleen

Originally from: coleen
                        
Hi Francis

I agree with what you write...who in their right minds would believe or feel reassured by anything that 'lot' say!

If bird flu really did get a hold here – how on Earth they would deal with it I have NO idea. We have fmd as a prime example There are far more people who keep chickens in Towns and Cities how are they going to get them to come forward unless (as was happening with fmd – people are once again paid to grass)! A Vet not contracted to DEFRA throughout fmd – told us that. How low can people sink – hey!

I think the word 'truth' is fast becoming obsolete and will fast vanish from our vocabulary...lies seem to get you far further in the World today – good old being honest – sends you to the bottom of the ladder (or worse).

I feel sorry for people who keep poultry (the good caring farmers/owners) but I really fear if bird flu should cross over to humans...because we could not cope, not with our overstretched failing health service. The phrase MASS PANIC springs to mind.

I imagine there are plans to 'save' the so called 'movers and shakers' of this Country of ours, the rest of us will be left to take our chances!

Perhaps 'that lot' are hoping it will ALL go away...and by keeping stum – and burying their heads in the sand the UK will be 'safe'!

What was it that Chamberlain said as he waved that piece of paper about – something along the lines of!
 "Peace in our time,"... look how wrong he got that! Lets hope DEFRA and the people advising it are not under any such false illusions (yes and pigs might fly)....

Coleen

Originally from: Ron
                        
Hello Coleen and Francis,

As someone, who in the 1960's and '70's, was involved with Public Protection in the event of Nuclear War, I can tell you that there was very little protection for the 'masses'. Right up to the 1970's when
all Civil Defence and the Royal Observer Corps were disbanded, any so called 'Protection' was just a cynical exercise.

But as a poster at that time said, "Will the living envy the dead".

As ever a Cynic, Ron.

Originally from: Mike
                        
EU has just published a survey of the occurence of highly pathogenic bird flu in EU wild birds.

See http://www.pighealth.com/influenza2.htm

Mike