To all EWA members. Please look at this latest move by the state of New York. They now join Florida and Louisiana as states who recently closed their borders to importation of CWD susceptible species. Missouri is also considering the same action. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg and will eventually affect all of the captive industry if we do not stay vigilant. The American Cervid Alliance (ACA), of which the EWA is a member, is committed to fighting these unnecessary regulations that are aimed at destroying our industry and has very little to do with disease control.
Regulation Issued to Protect NYS Deer Population from Chronic Wasting Disease
Long Island Exchange
October 29, 2013
New York, NY – The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation today announced emergency regulations to prohibit the importation of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) susceptible deer into the State. The protection of the state’s deer population is important not only to the balance of the ecosystem but also is critical to supporting the hundreds of thousands of sportsmen and women whose recreational activities contribute some $780 million in economic impact statewide.
“These emergency measures will help mitigate the risk of CWD taking a firm hold here in New York State,” said State Acting Agriculture Commissioner James B. Bays. “I’m a hunter and an avid outdoorsman, and keeping New York’s wild and captive deer herds healthy will help protect multi-million dollar industries that create jobs and provide recreational opportunities for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. From our agency’s perspective, the most important thing that we can do is limit the exposure of deer to CWD. That’s exactly what these regulations will do.”
DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said, “New York State has a long tradition of deer hunting and deer management. It is imperative that we remain vigilant and prevent Chronic Wasting Disease from entering the State. These regulations will bolster existing protections already in place in New York and help to maintain a vibrant population of our most sought after game species. This show of stewardship help will ensure that sportsmen and sportswomen continue to have great deer hunting opportunities throughout the state.”
The emergency regulations provide a ban on imports of specific species between November 16, 2013 and August 1, 2018. These species include Rocky Mountain elk, red deer, mule deer, black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer, sika deer, and moose.
