The Saskatchewan government is setting up a provincial task force to deal with malignant catarrhal fever, a potentially fatal disease that could have crippling consequences for the province’s sheep and bison industries.
Provincial agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud said last week the new task force will focus on studying the disease, educating producers and minimizing disputes between the sheep and bison industries.
“We’re going to put a group together to find out what’s really going on here … what the problems really are and what we can do (to address them),” said Bjornerud.
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MCF is an infectious viral disease that is caused by the ovine herpes virus, which is common in most sheep.
The virus does not cause clinical signs of disease in sheep but can be deadly when contracted by other types of ruminants.
It is always fatal in bison.
Concerns over MCF have been increasing in Saskatchewan during the past few years.
Markets for sheep and bison are strong and expansion is expected in both industries.
However, little is known about MCF and many bison producers fear that their livelihoods could be affected if steps aren’t taken to control spread of the disease.
In some areas, producers have suggested the establishment of standard buffer zones to keep bison and sheep operators separated.
Others question the legality of regulations that restrict how a land owner can use his land.
Late last year, the owners of a bison ranch near Fairlight, Sask., asked the province’s Agricultural Operations Review Board to hear their complaint against a sheep producer who bought property about one kilometre from the bison ranch.
The owners of the bison ranch, Rob Johnson, Rebecca Johnson and Ryan Clark, said allowing sheep to graze on the land could have a deadly impact on their herd of 2,200 bison.
Bjornerud said the potential for disputes between sheep and bison owners needs to be addressed.
The new task force will include representatives
from the Saskatchewan Bison Association, the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board, the provincial government and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
The group will be chaired by Wendy Wilkins, a disease surveillance veterinarian with Saskatchewan Agriculture.
During a presentation last week at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities’ annual convention, Wilkins said there are still many unanswered questions surrounding MCF.
With the exception of an epidemic believed to have occurred in a Saskatoon auction market in the early 2000s, Saskatchewan has recorded only a handful of bison deaths related to MCF.
That said, anticipated expansion of the sheep and bison industries points to a need for greater co-operation and better management, Wilkins said.
U.S. studies suggest the virus can be transmitted between species over distances as great a five kilo-metres.
However, the risk of infection varies greatly, depending on environmental conditions and animal densities.
The risk of infection is usually highest when bison and sheep share a common pasture or when bison are kept in close proximity to a feedlot that contains a significant number of lambs or sheep in close confinement.
Wilkins said there are no definitive rules regarding buffer areas between sheep farms and bison ranches.
Instead, it is likely that each situation will need to be assessed individually.
Grazing the species in adjoining pastures is not a good idea.
Mark Silzer, a Saskatchewan bison producer and president of the Canadian Bison Association, said establishing buffer zones between sheep and bison is a contentious issue that will require careful consideration.
He said education will be a key element of the task force’s work.
“I think education is certainly the first key to having bison and sheep producers really understand the disease,” Silzer said.
“Once they do, then they can start to make some assessment as to the level of risk and how do you best manage that.”
Silzer said it is important that bison and sheep producers work together to address the problem.
Producer returns from bison and sheep have never been higher. Failure to deal with the problem could have costly consequences for both industries, he said.
“When you get these issues, they have a tendency to polarize neighbours and communities and you have to be careful with that.”
The task force was expected to hold its inaugural meeting last week.
