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.