BREAKTHROUGH ACHIEVED ON AUSTRALIAN HORSE EXPORTS

The Australian Racing Board Chairman, Andrew Ramsden, today welcomed the announcement by the government of Singapore that it was immediately lifting a 3 month automatic ban on the export of horses from Australia. This ban had been triggered by December reports of Hendra virus (HeV) occurrences in North Queensland.

There were 3 possible outcomes from appeals to the Singapore government to lift this ban:

(i) Refusal.

As a consequence of the SARS outbreak in 2003 there is a high level of concern throughout Asia about zoonoses, and the easiest path for the Singapore Government would have been to confirm the 3 month ban on the export of horses from Australia.

(ii) Vary the ban to make it specific to Queensland.

The second most convenient course for the Singapore Government would have been to allow the import of horses from all parts of Australia except Queensland.

(iii) Full removal of automatic ban.

This was the optimum possible outcome, but has not previously been able to be achieved at a government level, despite 3 years of negotiations between government authorities in Canberra and Singapore.

In the event, the best of all outcomes possible was able to be achieved, with the existing 3 month automatic ban being lifted and replaced with a 21 day pre – embarkation quarantine period in the 3 months following any HeV case being reported in Australia.

“The announcement by the Singapore government of the immediate lifting of an automatic 3 month ban on export of horses from Australia is a significant break through and I congratulate all of those who have been involved in achieving it. As the Australian Racing Board’s 2003 – 2004 Fact Book reports, export of Australian thoroughbreds is a great success story, important to both the economy at large and also a significant factor in ensuring the commercial viability of the breeding sector supplying Australia’s own racing needs.”Andrew Ramsden, Chairman of the Australian Racing Board.

Mr Ramsden said that the lifting of the ban was also important in demonstrating the importance of close international collaboration within the world racing community itself.

“Government-to-Government-level negotiations have been underway on this issue for some 3 years, without success. I believe the deciding factor that achieved this breakthrough was that the Singapore Turf Club, armed with briefings from the Australian industry, was able to convincingly lobby the Singapore government on both the technical issues and the importance of this trade to both Singapore and Australian racing.”Andrew Ramsden.

Mr Ramsden also acknowledged the work done by the Australian Racing Board’s permanent advisor on animal and health issues, Dr Patricia Ellis.

“Once again Dr Ellis has produced the goods. The Australian racing industry is very fortunate to have her”.Andrew Ramsden.

Mr Ramsden said the only dark cloud in this area had been the way in which the Queensland and Federal governments had handled initial communication with the horse industry, but he was pleased that there were concrete signs of this improving.

“The Australian Racing Board was disappointed that the thoroughbred racing industry received no prior warning of the detection of Hendra virus in North Queensland until some days after its internal confirmation. This is a matter I have raised with the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Gardner Murray, and I am very pleased that in his response there has been an acknowledgement for the need to improve communication and an offer to meet to discuss arrangements for upgrading the timeliness of warnings”.Andrew Ramsden.

Notes to editors.

• Hendra virus (HeV) previously known as Equine Morbillivirus, causes acute and rapidly fatal pneumonia in horses and pneumonia and central nervous system disease in humans. Fruit bats (flying foxes) are the natural reservoirs of the virus.
• Two separate incidents involving single horses from the non – racing sector were identified in late December 2004 – one in Cairns and another at Townsville. The Chief Veterinary Officer of Queensland has advised that these cases do “not expose horses in the racing industry to any increased threat of this rare disease”.
• Zoonoses – various diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.