Member Login
2008 Policy Book
First | Previous | Next | Last | 2008 Index | Policy Book Archive#41 TB - MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS TUBERCULOSIS
We urge the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to be more assertive in their efforts to eradicate Bovine Tuberculosis and move the State to TB free status. We strongly encourage producer and hunter cooperation in all segments of our eradication efforts and support the utilization of the latest technological advancements by the Departments and the industry.
Controlling and totally eradicating diseases, such as Mycobacterium bovis tuberculosis (M.bovis), may require that some or all of the animals be removed and sacrificed for examination. To expedite the eradication of this contagious and infectious disease, we will support:
- MDA, USDA, DNR and other state and federal agencies involve producers from all of the affected areas of the State in decision-making processes regarding the Bovine TB eradication program.
- Continued producer assistance for livestock required to be whole-herd tested for the eradication of bovine TB.
- Producer assistance in the form of cost-share programs to improve animal handling facilities.
- Tying indemnity payments to the development and implementation of a Wildlife Risk Management Plan (WRMP) on each farm in the modified accredited TB zone.
- State and/or federal funding for all required testing.
- Producer compensation for all livestock injured or ordered removed during mandatory testing.
- The use of state-owned equipment free of charge to producers who are required to perform state-mandated TB tests.
- Continued cooperative efforts between MDA and USDA to return Michigan to TB-free status by advancing the status in areas of the State where TB has not been found or has proven to be free through science-based testing protocols.
- State and federal funding necessary for comprehensive and concerted research initiatives to further understand the transmission, persistence, detection and eradication of animal diseases.
- Science-based and specie-specific testing protocols.
When herds are quarantined for disease control purposes, we strongly urge MDA/USDA remove and test suspect animals as soon as possible. Upon confirmation of infection, we support:
- Depopulation, or test and remove, as soon as possible when the disease has been confirmed; indemnity payments must be issued promptly.
- If a farm is depopulated because of Bovine TB and the farm was operating under a WRMP with no intention of repopulation, indemnity should not be contingent on modifications to the plan.
- The DNR be required to harvest and test deer on and around TB positive farms, including on state-owned land.
Significant hunting activity is necessary to effectively reduce the number of deer to a level that will alleviate overpopulation concerns. We support the following measures:
- A statewide ban on feeding and baiting of free-ranging deer.
- In the absence of a statewide feeding and baiting ban, we support strengthening the fines and penalties for illegal feeding and baiting, similar to those for poaching violations, including heavy fines and seizures of guns and vehicles.
- Timely issuance of antlerless or special permits, when needed.
- Where TB is found, unlimited antlerless deer licenses should be offered to hunters on state, federal and privately-owned land.
- A free replacement hunting tag for hunters who turn in a deer that is suspect of TB and confiscated.
- Animal carcasses from car/deer accidents be tested for TB.
Continued state and federal funding is critical to complete eradication of the disease in the free-ranging wildlife and production livestock population.
To ensure that Michigan TB eradication efforts are not compromised, we encourage the Director of Agriculture to require reciprocal requirements for the importation of breeding cattle and show cattle.
We request state and/or federal funds be made available to producers to implement their WRMP when large expenditures are needed. In the Modified Accredited Zone (MAZ), we support the test and remove option for herd owners who have implemented a WRMP. Once the MAZ advances to Modified Accredited Advanced Zone (MAAZ), then MFB would support the use of whole herd depopulation as the only option for infected herds. We request that USDA count herds positive only for the months in which the herd contains positive animals.
