M. bovis - we need to be vigilant
From November 1, 2023, Ministry for Primary Industries’ Mycoplasma bovis Eradication Programme has been contracted out to disease management agency OSPRI, as it enters a long-term surveillance phase.
The TBfreeprogrammeaims to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (TB) from New Zealand by 2055, with key milestones of TB eradication from cattle and deer by 2026 and from possums by 2040.
Good progress has been made to date with just over 30 herds currently infected with TB in New Zealand, down from a high of over 1690 infected herds in the mid-1990s. Wildlife vector control, principally of possums that are a proven carrier of TB, has been a key to this, with TB having been eradicated from possum populations across more than 3.25 million hectares since 2011.
OSPRI’s consultation process involves a range of steps from planning and operation design to post-operational surveys and reporting. National, regional and local consultations provide opportunities for people and organisationsto gain an overview of the proposed operations and identify what further information they require.
OSPRI chief executive Michelle Edge says a key step of OSPRI’s TBFreeconsultation process for pest operations is the release of this national document to ensure that individuals, land occupiers, land users and local communities are informed, well in advance, of our proposed 2019 TBfreepest control operations.
“This is to provide the opportunity for individuals and organisationsto submit feedback, raise questions and comments about proposed operations including any local information needs, risks or problems that may need to be addressed for an individual operations proposal.”
The national consultation period runs from 1 August to 30 September 2018. There are a number ofways to make a submission, including writing to us, calling or making submission through our online submission form.
The consultation document and details about how to make a submission are available at www.ospri.co.nz/have-your-say
