The President of the German Animal Protection Association, Thomas Schröder, has called for a swift response to the outbreak of swine fever and a preventive ban on live animals at the Green Week.
“‘Since the spread of swine fever will have devastating consequences, the transmission route must be quickly traced,’ said Schröder to the ‘Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland’. ‘The use of vaccines must be prepared so that no time is lost.'”
The highly infectious disease has already caused immense animal suffering. Now, particularly the keepers of endangered animal species are being called upon to strictly adhere to biosafety measures and react immediately in the event of illness, said Schröder. He also appealed to citizens to contribute to preventing the spread of the animal disease, for example, by keeping a distance from pastures.
In the face of the upcoming consumer fair, the ‘Green Week’ in Berlin, Schröder appealed for a complete ban on live animals in the exhibition halls. “‘Just before the Green Week is about to begin, the exhibition authorities would be well advised to prohibit any live animal holding in the exhibition halls, in order to make a preventive contribution to the containment of the disease,’ he said.”
Schröder also criticized the conditions in intensive animal husbandry. “‘Even if it seems that only small numbers of animals are currently affected, remains: The still increasing intensive animal husbandry with ever higher numbers of animals on a small space potentiates the risk that high numbers of animals are affected and we experience high piles of dead animals,’ said Schröder. This disease once again reminds the government to prioritize the transformation of the animal husbandry industry, for example, towards smaller animal populations.”
The President of the German Farmers’ Association, Joachim Rukwied, demands that the federal government and the states take all necessary measures to quickly combat the swine fever outbreak in Brandenburg. Rukwied said to the ‘Rheinische Post’ (Tuesday edition): “‘Although the virus is completely harmless to humans, the economic damage to animal keepers is significant, as export markets fall away.'”
Rukwied added: “‘Now, speed and decisiveness count. Everything must be done to contain this outbreak.’ To achieve this, federal government and states must work closely together with the economy. Necessary are also solutions that ‘relieve the animal keepers. The animal-keeping businesses are also called upon to review and further strengthen their biosafety measures,’ said Rukwied.