News Update
Dec. 12, 2008

PLC Applauds Action on Endangered Species Act

The Public Lands Council (PLC) and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded a decision by the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Commerce to make final, jointly published, revised regulations, for the consultation process under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

On Thursday, Dec. 11, the administration announced the release of their final rule amending Section 7 implementation regulations under the ESA. The regulations, which take effect 30 days after being published in the Federal Register, clarify that there is no requirement to consult on greenhouse gas emissions’ contribution to global warming and its potential effects on listed species (e.g., polar bear).

The revised regulation will streamline consultations between agencies, allowing for a more efficient use of limited resources and provide clarity and focus within the agencies. The agencies will maintain their responsibility to enforce the ESA in protecting species.

PLC and NCBA submitted comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service supporting the revised regulations, which will provide a narrow set of improvements that allow for more effective administration of the ESA to benefit both species and the public. These revisions will also clarify that the ESA is not a vehicle for regulating climate change.

— Adapted from a release provided by the Public Lands Council.

AVMA Calls for Increased Veterinary Oversight in Meat Production; Cites USDA Audit Report Initiated After Hallmark/Westland Recall

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) cited Dec. 11 the release of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on preslaughter activities in U.S. meat plants as additional confirmation that the shortage of food animal veterinarians can have dire consequences on animal welfare.

The OIG report, which was released this week, was the culmination of an investigation requested by Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer following the Hallmark/Westland recall of beef products earlier this year. The investigation examined the history of Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspections at Hallmark/Westland and at 10 other facilities, which, like the now-closed Hallmark, slaughter older dairy or beef cows that are removed from the herd for various reasons, usually decreased production.

According to AVMA, among the findings of the report is the existence of vulnerabilities, such as the lack of an adequate number of veterinarians in inspection positions.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued a statement on Tuesday that also emphasized the report’s assessment of veterinary shortage ramifications.

“This report proves that personnel from the front-line supervisor to the public health veterinarian were overtasked, and they could not keep up with all of the inspection procedures they were charged with carrying out,” Harkin said. “The public health veterinarian at the Hallmark/Westland plant was by himself, where before, there were two veterinarians assigned to the plant. If the Food Safety and Inspection Service does not assign a sufficient number of inspectors, supervisors and veterinarians and provide the training they require, we take a gamble with food safety and the humane treatment and slaughter of animals. These are serious shortcomings in deployment of FSIS personnel, proper training of them, and utilization and adequacy of USDA food safety budget resources.”

As a solution to help meet the critical shortage of food animal veterinarians, the AVMA has been actively pursuing funding and implementation of the National Veterinary Medical Service Act, a loan repayment program that would place veterinarians in underserved areas of the veterinary profession. The Association is also pursuing the passage of the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act, a bill that would provide veterinary schools with competitive grants to increase capacity in these shortage areas.

— Release provided by AVMA.

Applied Repro Symposium: Factors Affecting Fertilization in Synchronization Programs

Whether or not cattlemen are using synchronization protocols in beef cattle breeding programs, “the rules of biology” still have to be followed in order to achieve fertilization, Richard Saacke, Virginia Tech professor emeritus, told attendees at the 2008 Robert E. Taylor Memorial Symposium: Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle in Fort Collins, Colo.

Saacke emphasized that the bottom line in successful insemination and fertilization comes down to sperm transport in the cow. He explained that insemination places billions of sperm in the cervix that then must travel up the reproductive tract to the oviductal sperm reservoir. During this process, timing is critical. Numerous sperm get lost in the reproductive tract, and only thousands actually reach the reservoir where fertilization occurs. Quality of the semen is also important during this process because many of the sperm simply do not survive. “So, in a sense, the female has a selection that she exerts on the sperm,” Saacke said. To enhance sperm transport in the cow to achieve fertilization, Saacke said three important factors must be considered. Click here to read more.

To listen to Saacke’s presentation — or other information presentations — view the accompanying PowerPoint or view other presentations from the symposium, visit the newsroom at www.appliedreprostrategies.com.

The Robert E. Taylor Memorial Symposium is conducted by Colorado State University every other year to provide current, research-based information for improving profitability in the beef cattle industry. The ARSBC program was developed by the Beef Cattle Reproduction Task Force to improve understanding and application of reproductive technologies, including AI, estrus synchronization and factors affecting male fertility. In 2008, CSU and the Task Force collaborated to provide the Dec. 2-3 symposium in Fort Collins.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.