Livestock and Fisheries sub-sectors overview

Posted in Agriculture & Food Security

The EAC Livestock and Fisheries are broken down into two main categories:

1. Livestock:
   • Transboundary animal disease prevention and control
   • Farm animal genetic resources improvement and conservation
   • Livestock trade and marketing
   • Pastoralism development
   • Regional livestock policy development
   • Regional disease strategy and contingency plans
2. Fish and Fisheries:
   • Fisheries governance
   • Fisheries management
   • Monitoring control and surveillance
   • Culture fisheries development
   • Fisheries trade and marketing
   • Fisheries diseases in both fresh water and marine aquatic ecosystem

Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases

One of the major hindrances to increased animal production in the EAC is the occurrence of animal disease especially transboundary animal diseases (TADs).

In the past, the region has recorded occurrences of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Key stakeholders in disease control in the EAC region include AU-IBAR, EAFF, FAO, USAID, GIZ, ILRI, etc.

The following are the diseases identified as priority strategic and tactical transboundary animal diseases including emerging / evolving diseases in the EAC Partner States:

• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (AI)
• Rift Valley Fever (RVF)
• Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
• Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)
• Newcastle Disease
• Trypanosomoses
• Pestes des Petit Ruminants
• Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia
• Lumpy Skin Disease
• Rabies
• African Swine Fever
• Tick-borne diseases (East Coast Fever, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis)
• Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
• Blue Tongue
• Nairobi Sheep Disease
• Canine Distemper
• Gumboro

EAC Animal Disease Control Coordination Instruments

In order to harmonise and improve coordination of disease prevention and control, the EAC Steering and Technical Management Committee on Disease Control have developed following instruments:

1. EAC Strategy on Transboundary Disease Control and Zoonosis
   • An EAC Disease Control Strategy is in place. It emphasises early detection-early response to disease situations. It also emphasises the need for one world one health approach.
   • The Strategy also provides for coordination mechanism through the regional Steering and Technical Management Committees and expert groups.
2. EAC Contingency Plan
   • A draft EAC contingency on Avian Influenza and other TADs are in place.
   • The contingency plan is based on the WHO scenarios of a pandemic situation.
   • The contingency is supposed to guide regional response to a transboundary disease outbreak.
3. An EAC Communication Strategy on Avian Influenza and other TADs:
   • The Communication Strategy calls for dissemination of appropriate targeted information at the right time to the right people.

EAC Regional Plans against Transboundary Animal Diseases

A number of regional plans of action have been developed and are in place. These include:

1. Controlling Transboundary Animal Diseases in the Community
   • The overall objective of the proposal was to control and eradicate TADs in the EAC so as to increase livestock production and productivity, and promote and safeguard regional trade (focusing on two strategic diseases: FMD, CBPP)
2. Preparedness and Response Plan on RVF
3. Preparedness and Response Plan on AI - focusing on AI

Plan of Action for an Integrated Regional Emergency Preparedness and Response to RVF, AI and other Transboundary Human and Animal Diseases in East Africa - focusing on AI, RVF and other TADs.

Other Livestock Sector Initiatives

1. Livestock Policy Initiatives
   • The need for review and harmonisation of regional livestock policies cannot be underscored. The policies will form a base framework on which the regional livestock will be organised.
2. Pastoralism and Drylands Development
   • In the EAC, beef production is mainly in the drylands pastoralists areas. The Pastoralists herds form a major source of beef for the region. However, this areas are poorly developed and with minimal investment.
   • A regional steering committee with specific terms reference to handle issues on pastoralism development in the region was approved by the EAC Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security.
3. Animal Breeding and Farm Animal Genetic Resources
   • Conservation and utilisation of farm animal genetic resources is critical issue in the EAC.
   • A regional committee on Farm Animal Genetic Resources was approved by the EAC Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security, with detailed terms of reference including aspects on protection of property rights so that local EAC farm animal genetic resources may not be lost to others who would like to patent it.