|
|
In 1920 the British Mandatory Government in Palestine set up the CMI Veterinary Service in the country. After the establishment of the State of Israel, the new Ministry of Agriculture took responsibility for the veterinary services, and the name was changed to "veterinary Services and Animal Health,". These services are now celebrating their 76th anniversary.
The public is aware that the function of the veterinary Services Is to prevent disease among animals, particularly rabies and those diseases which are common to animals and human beings, and also to supervise meat and other animal products. Not many people are aware of the other manifold activities in which the various units of the State Veterinary Services are involved. These include sophisticated surveillance of harmful residues in food of animal origin, experiments in oral Immunization of foxes and jackals against rabies, using bait; development of new vaccines using genetic engineering methods; maintaining computerized Information systems at national and international levels, approval of exporting plants and certifying each and every batch for export, supervision of experiments on animals and preventing cruelty to them' registering veterinarians and supervising their specializations and, of course, much more.
Tens of Veterinary Service units are located throughout the country from Kiryat Shmona In the North, to Ellat in the South. They include the Central "Kimron" Veterinary institute in Belt Dagan with its 18 laboratories; 10 regional veterinary offices; B regional laboratories for fowl disease; 10 supervision and control points at seaports, airports, and land terminals; 3 animal quarantine stations; the Regional Cattle and Sheep Laboratory in the north of the country, etc.
Over the years, the Veterinary Services have managed to eradicate a number of significant contagious diseases, such as cattle tuberculosis and bruceilosis - a remarkable achievement even when compared with the most developed western countries. The Kimron Veterinary institute Is famous due to its scientific achievements, and has been declared a world reference centre by the international Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The Institute regularly receives guest scientists from other countries for bath short and longer visits, and conducts joint research projects with many countries around the world.
Israel is located in one of the areas of the world most subject to pestilent diseases among animals, in spite of that, it has managed to establish and maintain an extremely advanced and efficient animal industry. The Veterinary Services constitute a protective barrier for all animals, including house pets, birds, horses, sheep, cattle, fowl and wildlife as well as protecting human beings coming Into contact with them or with animal products. The Israeli veterinary inspection system has gained a high reputation worldwide, resulting In the development of extensive export of animals and their products, recently exceeding US$ 100 million annually. Their success is based on four main objectives: centralization; professional excellence; close cooperation with the agriculture sector and with the food industry; and a very efficient legal structure.
On the one hand, the peace agreements may mean that Israel has to face new and perhaps serious risks as a result of the opening up of the borders; on the other, they also bring the hope that a regional animal health protection system will be established, with the exchange of scientific, particularly epidemiological, Information and setting up joint animal disease protection control systems. Regional plans have been drawn up, with the support of the US and the European Union, and some of them have already been put into practice. The 75th anniversary of the Veterinary Services Is set In the new atmosphere of peace, and with it the planning required to meet bath the dangers and the opportunities that peace will entail.
The Israeli Awassi breed, fat-tail sheep, as portrayed in Menashe Kadisman's painting on the Anniversary stamp is, to this day. outwardly identical to the sheep that were bred and tended by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, though its production characteristics are different from other Awassi sheep In the Near East. The Israeli sheep-breeder has managed to achieve from these sheep record levels of milk yield, which became possible only after the diseases putting them at risk had been controlled.
Recently, the Veterinary Services have arranged for the export of frozen foetuses of Israeli Awassi ewes to New Zealand, one of the most stringent countries in the world when it come to health requirements for Imparting animals or animal products. This export Is therefore a very real expression of the international standing which has been accorded the Israel Veterinary Services.
