Dr Mark Schipp on strengthening animal health and biosecurity in the Pacific
17 Jan 2023
Strengthening animal health and biosecurity in the Pacific
The Pacific is a diverse and dynamic region, consisting of 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) dispersed across 40 million square kilometres of ocean, each with a unique history, culture, ecosystem and political environment.
Agriculture is an integral part of Pacific culture and contributes to sustainable livelihoods and the economic resilience of the population. Livestock are central to the social, economic, cultural and food security of the Pacific Islands, with pigs, poultry and ruminants being raised for local consumption, export, financial security and cultural practices.
Despite its importance however, the livestock sector in the region faces significant challenges such as limited access to veterinarians and veterinary services, the absence of animal disease surveillance systems, and low productivity due to challenges across animal husbandry, nutrition, infrastructure and animal welfare practices. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the increasing threat of emerging animal diseases further contributes to biosecurity, animal health, and food production issues faced by the Pacific.
Australia engages closely with our Pacific partners to enhance regional biosecurity, food security and economic resilience. In support of Australia’s commitment to deep and sustained engagement with the Indo-Pacific, the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer (OCVO) established the Pacific Engagement Program for Animal Health (the Program) in 2021. The Program seeks to strengthen animal health and production, welfare, One Health, biosecurity and food security outcomes, and to improve veterinary services in the region.
Pacific partnerships
Establishing enduring and trust-based partnerships with our Pacific near neighbours is vital in delivering effective support to the region and is a fundamental pillar of the Pacific Engagement Program for Animal Health. The Program has established strong, collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders in the region, such as the Pacific Community (SPC), and strives to work with local communities to provide targeted support, recognizing the uniqueness of individual nations.
The Program uses a unified approach, working closely with SPC, the principle technical organisation for the Pacific, as well as other regional groups such as the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries, World Organisation for Animal Health, and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. The Program is also working to establish close bilateral relationships with PICT government agencies, including ministries of agriculture and biosecurity authorities. This collaboration ensures regional issues and priorities are supported and addressed, while also building capacity of PICTs to manage emerging disease threats, improve biosecurity operations and build resilient communities.
Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
Image: OCVO officers meeting with the Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the SPC Animal Health and Production team.
In October 2022, three officers from the OCVO conducted an animal health survey in the Solomon Islands, in collaboration with the Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) and the SPC Animal Health and Production team. The team met with farmers across Guadalcanal, and delivered field-based training for livestock officers on disease surveillance and important emergency animal diseases such as African swine fever (ASF).
Image: OCVO officer performing venipuncture on a chicken.
A critical challenge for the Solomon Islands is the lack of veterinarians and veterinary services, which significantly impacts the animal health, production and biosecurity systems of the country. At the core of being a veterinarian is our responsibility to provide the highest level of care to our patients, and to educate and support our clients. With limited veterinary capacity in-country, farmers and communities in the Solomon Islands are facing challenges in animal husbandry, nutrition, reproduction and farm management practices. Low reproductive rates, skin disease and reduced production were common animal health problems observed by the OCVO veterinary team.
Supporting the Solomon Islands to build capacity in veterinary services and animal health and production is vital to their sustainability, food security and economic resilience. The team met with the new Permanent Secretary of MAL, Mr Lottie Vaisekavea, who raised important issues around promoting agriculture among youth, building capacity of farmers, and enhancing local agricultural production.
Similar discussions were held when I recently visited Vanuatu, alongside Chief Veterinary Officer for New Zealand, Dr Mary van Andel. We established dialogues with key stakeholders, including Vanuatu’s Principal Veterinary Officer, Dr Ian Peebles, to discuss Vanuatu’s animal health and biosecurity needs. My team in the OCVO will continue to work collaboratively with the Solomon Islands MAL and the Vanuatu Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity to achieve these outcomes.
Looking forward
The Pacific is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and the increased threat of transboundary animal diseases. In recent years we have seen an increase in the global spread of emergency animal diseases such as African swine fever (ASF), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and avian influenza (AI). The need to strengthen regional capacity to detect and respond to diseases is becoming more apparent.
The Pacific Engagement Program for Animal Health continues to explore approaches to support PICTs in the prevention, preparedness and response to emergency animal diseases. Future activities include building capacity in disease surveillance and veterinary diagnostics, conducting risk analyses and collaborative development of mitigation strategies.
In 2022, the Program, in collaboration with regional experts, contributed to the development of the Pacific Animal Health and Production Framework Priorities Plan 2022-2025 (PFPP), which provides recommendations and the approach for strengthened veterinary services, animal health and production, and biosecurity in the Pacific. The PFPP will be presented for endorsement by the Pacific Heads of Veterinary and Animal Production Services early in 2023.
Australia’s engagement on animal health and biosecurity issues, and the building of this capacity across the Pacific, in collaboration with SPC and other regional partners, has the potential to deliver significant contributions to the region’s stability. The OCVO will continue to engage closely with our partners in the Pacific to build the collaborative relationships needed to support the region’s development goals in animal health and biosecurity.
In late 2022 my team met with Dr Nigel Gillan, a district veterinarian with the NSW Local Land Services, who will commence a six-month volunteer veterinary placement with the Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in 2023, through the Australian Volunteers Program. This is sure to be a rewarding experience and I encourage other veterinarians to consider these types of opportunities to assist with the provision of veterinary services in the Pacific region.
For the latest updates on the work of the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer, please follow our Twitter channel, and you can also follow me on LinkedIn and the Australian Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Beth Cookson on LinkedIn.