This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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National semen archive
11/07/2003
Details of a National Semen Archive to preserve
susceptible genotypes under the National Scrapie Plan (NSP)
were announced today.
Rams of the most susceptible genotypes at risk of
developing the disease are currently removed from breeding
under the three year £120 million NSP.
The archive will ensure that viable populations of sheep
with these and other susceptible genotypes can be
re-stablished, should it become necessary, in the
future.
The plans follow consultation with industry,
stakeholders and take account of advice from the Spongiform
Ecephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) and other
bodies.
Temporary arrangements under the NSP to extend the
appeals process for the slaughter of susceptible rams among
rare and primitive breeds, pending the outcome of further
work on resistance within these breeds were also
outlined.
The NSP aims to reduce and over time eradicate scrapie
from the national flock. This addresses the theoretical
threat of BSE in sheep.
The NSP, launched in July 2001 with the ram genotyping
scheme, is a voluntary, long-term programme of breeding for
genetic resistance. Uptake amongst tup breeders across
Britain has been good at around 50% so far.
Proposals for a voluntary scrapie flocks scheme to help
producers with a scrapie problem get rid of the disease are
being finalised with a view to launch later in the
year.
European Commission measures for breeding for scrapie
resistance and scrapie eradication in infected flocks come
into force on January 1, 2004, and October 1, 2003,
respectively.
UK Rural Affairs Departments will be conducting a public
consultation on these measures in due course.
Proposals for the Semen Archive were drawn up in
conjunction with scientific experts and industry
representatives and under clear advice from the Spongiform
Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (the governments
scientific advisory committee) and the EU Commission.
Public consultation on proposals ended on May 12.
In the near future there will be an invitation for
interested parties to submit tenders for the establishment
and ongoing maintenance of the Archive. It is intended to
have a service supplier contacted before the end of
2003.
In the interim the Executive will be working with the
NSA and breed Societies to encourage breeders to identify
suitable donor rams. Susceptible rams in NSP flocks will be
given temporary exemption from current NSP requirements to
be slaughtered or castrated.
The archive will be NSP-funded and jointly industry
administered with the NSA through an Archive Management
Board. Once the archive is complete, the management and
funding of it will be reviewed.
It will be funded for the first three years of
operation, with subsequent funding or cost-sharing to be
dependent on prevailing scientific opinion regarding the
continuing necessity of the archive.
For each breed of sheep 20 unrelated rams of each
homozygous genotype will be kept. Breed societies will need
to be recognised by the NSA and each society will have
their own priorities for the rams to be selected for the
archive. Breed societies will have ownership of the semen.
Transport of rams to and from the facility will be funded
through the NSP.
There will be discretion for archiving semen from
additional rams of breeds with low levels of fully
susceptible genotypes or where distinct breed types
exist.
Under the NSP rams, carrying VRQ, including those of
rare beeds (those recognised by the Rare breeds Survival
Trust - RBST) must be slaughtered within 14 days.
A survey of rare breeds genotypes, in conjunction with
the RBST, has shown that levels of genetic resistance (ARR)
in certain rare breeds is low. In recognition of this and
of the genetic importance of native rare breeds, further
work will be undertaken to help develop appropriate
longer-term NSP strategies for rare breeds.
As a temporary measure 'appeals' against the slaughter
of VRQ rams will be automatically accepted from keepers of
rare breeds. The slaughter date will be August 1, 2004, to
allow further time to evaluate and consult on the way
forward.