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National Aquaculture Association :: One Industry, One Voice November 6, 2007 NAAHP Legislation Introduced in Senate On November 1, Senator Olympia Snowe (R), Maine, introduced Senate Bill 2299, which would authorize and fund activities under the National Aquatic Animal Health Plan (NAAHP). The NAAHP has been in development for a number of years, and is a collaboration among the US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Industry has been very involved in the development of the NAAHP through participation in the various workgroups and through ongoing meetings with agency staff. Implementation and funding of the NAAHP is a needed step forward in allowing aquaculture in the U.S. to thrive and grow. Senate Bill 2299 proposes an opt-in program for states; state participation will not be mandated. It also provides for a stakeholder advisory council, including industry members, to guide APHIS in implementing the program. Authorized activities include administration and implementation of the plan, training and laboratory testing, cleaning and disinfection associated with depopulation orders, public outreach and education, and indemnity payments for producers who are following best management practices and are subject to depopulation orders. As seen with Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) and Spring Viremia of Carp (SVC), disease outbreaks can be sudden, devastating, and difficult to manage, especially when they cross state lines. The AHPIS surveillance and indemnity program for ISA brought the salmon industry back from the brink a few years ago when a major salmon production area in the state had to be depopulated. The program helped encourage rigorous science and sound management practices and has been a model for federal, state, and industry cooperation. However, individual disease surveillance efforts are diffcult to coordinate and sustain. A national framework is needed, which is what the NAAHP would provide. Additional information on the National Aquatic Animal Health program can be found on the NAAHP website: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/aquaculture/naah_plan.shtml
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