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World Trade, Disease and Florida’sAnimal Populations

The Changing Dynamics

LEROY M. COFFMAN

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Division of Animal Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0800, USA

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BSTRACT

: One of Florida’s three leading economic industries is agriculture.Agriculture feeds and enhances the lives of millions of people in Florida, theUnited States, and the entire world. Agriculture in Florida results in more than$6 billion in farm cash receipts, employment for more than 60,000 people amonth, more than $18 billion in farm-related economic activity and stretchesfrom the farm gate to the state’s supermarkets with an impact of nearly $45billion. The domestic and wild animal populations of Florida, our unique rela-tionship to the Caribbean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Central and SouthAmerica, as well as tourism, diverse human population growth and immigra-tion, all add to the complexity of an environment capable of establishing manyanimals, animal pests and diseases not native to the United States. Never beforehave the dynamics of disease control involved as much challenge and diversity.Is the balance at risk, or is the risk over-balanced? Can science, economics andpolitics blend to maintain this balance? How will the balance affect worldtrade, disease control and the animal populations of Florida?

INTRODUCTION

There was a time when “business as usual” meant just that, when the phrase“good enough for government work” was an insult. Regulatory agencies had stan-dard methods for dealing with disease and other recurring issues, with capacity forchange limited by past history, a lack of vision, and a general pattern of inflexibility.Veterinarians, along with a myriad of other professionals, will attest that a lack offlexibility increases the likelihood of injury in both daily tasks and unexpecteddemands on a system. In order to perform at peak capacity, one must be flexible.

Many people have compared government to a circus. Each performer has his ownspeciality and his own agenda. Everyone vies for the spotlight and competes withother acts in this three ring circus. These acts cooperate to put the circus up, take thecircus down, and intervene occasionally to make sure the tigers are not chasing thehorses and the elephants are not stampeding through the audience. Somewhere inthere, a ringmaster holds the illusion of control, but success or failure of any one act

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Address for correspondence: Leroy M. Coffman, D.V.M., State Veterinarian, Division ofAnimal Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 335 Mayo Build-ing, 407 South Calhoun Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0800. Voice: 850-410-0900; fax:850-410-0915.

coffmal@doacs.state.fl.us

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depends on the performers involved. The State Veterinarian is a high-wire artist. Thetightrope he walks between risk (of animal disease and disaster) and regulation israzor sharp. During practice sessions, or in the realm of the hypothetical, there isalways a net. In real life, the risks are much higher. Risks offset control factors andsometimes skew the balance. Where animal issues are concerned, our audience ofindustry and animal welfare groups never expect the performers to fail outright. Fewactually consider the consequences of not having a net available. The State Veteri-narian is much like the apex of a multicolored spinning top. He supports and balanc-es burgeoning industry and a thriving agricultural economy desiring as littleregulation as possible. This is intermingled and blurred together with issues such asquarantines, disease, and consequences of not regulating. The State Veterinariantries to use small nudges to steer the industry’s momentum and maintain an accept-able medium. Politics has always required exceptional balance and a little bit of luck.Adjusting to these ever-changing dynamics requires not that the tightrope walker,much like the spinning top he carries, find one position and stay there, but in orderto move forward, he must continuously shift his center of balance and be preparedto make major corrections if necessary.

RISKS REGARDING ANIMALS AND AGRICULTURE

Many economic strengths and benefits can be health related weaknesses. Therehave always been issues, but changing dynamics in seemingly unrelated fields canaffect animal industry and veterinary concerns.

Interstate and international trade have opened the doors of free enterprise andcompetitive marketplace. In most cases, if a buyer wants to purchase something,someone somewhere will be able to provide it and ship it to him. We have the abilityto trade exotic merchandise to and from exotic locations. It is an ever increasingchallenge for science and safety measures to keep up with our escalating trade prac-tices. Trade, in every form, is a risk. Loopholes and inconsistencies exist in intra-state, interstate, and international trade regulations. We are not currently tracking allaspects of movement of agricultural and animal commodities. Even if extensivetracking and surveillance measures were in place for legal imports/exports and ani-mal movement, illegal movement of goods across our borders cannot be regulated orsuppressed as long as those goods have willing buyers. Smuggling is an ever presentissue.

While Florida is in a good position to monitor incoming goods from the rest ofthe continental United States, its thousands of miles of coastline cannot be protectedfrom unwanted entry all of the time. Smuggling is not the only problem that seepsthrough Florida’s coasts. Diseases resident in the Caribbean are most likely to enterthe United States through Florida. Some of these diseases need no help from humansto make that move. Normal bird migration and displacement of creatures and flotsamfrom the Caribbean due to storms are perpetual vectors that could bring disease toFlorida.

Florida is faced with many transient populations. As the year cycles by, eachmonth brings a fresh influx of travelers from different parts of the world. Amongthese are tourists, newcomers, and the annual migration of “snowbirds” during winter

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months from the northeastern United States. Visitors and immigrants of many speciescross Florida’s borders by air, by land, and by sea (entering through our many deepwater ports). Increasing numbers of tourists travel with their pets, bringing an inher-ent risk of moving not only these pets, but also anything in or on these pets. Othersmay ignorantly or inadvertently bring in invasive species that can quickly take holdin Florida. Florida’s climate allows for a wide variety of species, both native and non-native, to flourish. If we cannot prevent unwanted species from crossing our bordersin the first place, contending with them can be disastrous.

Current state, federal and international regulations on animal movement contrib-ute both to overlaps and loopholes in the system. Traditional livestock traditionallymove across land; these are and have been comparatively easy to regulate. However,we continue to see an ever-increasing interest in wildlife, exotic and shared species,and movement of those species. New regulations and revisions to old ones have notcaught up to the movement of nontraditional species and their particular needs andconcerns.

In the last few decades, we have seen increased number and increased activity ofanimal rights organizations and animal awareness. While this is generally consideredto be a favorable direction and the “right thing” to do, it also mandates changes inagriculture and animal industry. The way things have always been done is no longeracceptable; modern producers of animals and animal products are constantly beingpressured to develop more gentle, effective, humane methods of dealing with ani-mals, while at the same time being cost effective and making a profit. Animal indus-tries have an inherent interest in their animals being in the best condition possible.In their own ways, industry, government and society continue to ask for more. Theintegration between classic agriculture and science/technology continues. Farms cantrack their records on computer, and importers can look up animal movement regu-lations online. New trends in technology allow for more humane care of animalswhile increasing efficiency and profit.

Humans have an infatuation with animals, a driving urge to identify with themand their plight, to own and care for them. This urge is almost a growing fanaticism,an obsession. People are enamored with animals. This bond that humans have withanimals can put both humans and animals in danger if people are not aware of basicsafety and health issues, proper care of certain species, as well as environmental andsocial/political concerns.

Weather and climate are regular concerns in Florida. Florida is susceptible to allfactors inherent in a tropical or subtropical climate. Florida experiences hazardousweather in the forms of tornadoes, heavy thunderstorms with lightening, and tropicalcyclones on a regular basis. In recent years, Florida has alternately contended withdrought, fires and floods. Florida is battered by the alternating temper tantrums of ElNiño and La Niña. Hazardous weather affecting Florida and nearby regions, islandsor states impacts the movement of both human and animal populations. Debris fromtropical storms in the Caribbean can carry vectors of disease onto Florida’s beaches.

In addition to the natural risks inherent with Florida’s climate and geographicposition, other dangers are man-made. Intentional dangers, such as bioterrorism, arean increasing concern. Florida makes an easy target. We have numerous ports of en-try, international airports, multi-cultural diversity, and an enormous tourist industry.Other dangers ensue from neglect, ignorance or lack of knowledge. We continue to

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face the threat of foreign diseases, unknown, undiscovered or undocumented diseas-es emerging worldwide. We never know for certain what is out there, whether or howsoon it will reach our state, or what, if anything, we can do to defend ourselvesagainst it.

CONTROLS

In comparison to other states, Florida manages to stay out of the middle of thecurve; generally speaking, Florida is near the very front or the very back, dependingon the subject of the study. In some fields, we struggle, striving for average, but inareas of agriculture, animal industry and emergency management, Florida persists tobe one of the foremost states in innovation and application. Issues that impact agri-culture and animal industry will impact Florida first, along with a few other “senti-nel” states. Florida is where it is because it has to be there.

Government regulations are always changing, but the dynamics of the regulatoryagencies have seen unprecedented changes in the last few years and will continue totransform into new roles and new partnerships. As long as we insist that industrychange to meet new regulations, we have to adjust and compensate to meet industryhalfway. Inevitably, the halfway point depends on one’s perception. On the one hand,more and more consumers expect government to take a more active role to protectthem and provide for a healthy, robust industry; on the other hand, we are beingencouraged to back off and let industry self-regulate. It is a delicate balance to walkthe line between them, and there are high stakes involved if we fail.

Depending on the type of animal involved and the nature of the inquiry itself,animal questions in Florida can be referred to a number of state agencies, federaloffices, private organizations, and law enforcement. Callers and consumers areeasily frustrated with an “I don’t know” or “call someone else.” We are striving fora seamless coordination between Florida’s State Veterinarian’s Office, (the Divisionof Animal Industry,) and our federal counterparts, the Florida office of USDA’sAnimal and Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services (APHIS, VS). We areworking our way out of the “us and them” mentality into an “all of us” mentality. Atthe federal and state level, we no longer focus on exclusion, but on inclusion. Thispermeates how we interact with federal and state employees in the field, dispersal ofinformation, newly regulated species and diseases. In turn, our agricultural agenciesare working with environmental protection agencies and wildlife agencies to bridgegaps and eliminate overlaps in our regulatory system. Many factors contribute to andfurther this inclusive approach.

Knowledge and education do much to offset the risks of disease and other dan-gers. Research into new diseases, new procedures and new developments can give usnew tools and weapons to wield on a chaotic battlefield. Knowledge is power, andknowledge gives us an edge in decision-making, contingency planning, and evalua-tion of our changing situations. The College of Veterinary Medicine at the Universityof Florida has proved invaluable, not only in turning out more members of the vet-erinary work force, but also in researching threats we are facing or soon will likelyface, such as exotic ticks and diseases like brucellosis and heartwater. Research oftenleads to new improvements, better methods and technology. Academic scientific

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research is not the only development to assist those in the animal industry; increasedcomputer access, email and the internet, web searching and publishing, databases,and other hardware and software have lent themselves to increased communicationand ease in research and information gathering. Biological science, engineering, andcomputer science combined will soon allow for increased surveillance of animals,easier tracking of animal movement and test records, and faster, more accessible ser-vice to the public and the industry.

Much of this technology provides us with the tools, the rungs on a ladder, toclimb outside the “box” that has held the animal industry in a fairly fixed positionfor decades. Government is no longer about “business as usual.” Surveillance, thegovernment “camera,” now has multiple lenses; regulatory agencies can now zoomin on known issues with a close-up, while at the same time, they can catch moreanomalies with a wide-angle lens. Technology allows us to watch from our precari-ous balance more effectively and more extensively than ever before. We have nochoice but to rely on technology; in this era of government downsizing, we areexpected to do more with less, and we are expected to do it competently. Old prob-lems and new problems alike require new solutions.

Members of industry and government agencies are finding that good managementnow of what you have brings you more in the future. Industry and government arebeing pushed to be held accountable for their actions. Standards are being developed.Best Management Practices (BMPs), ISO (International Standards Organization)Compliance, and management training programs help individuals and organizationsmeet the criteria they are now being held to.

Some of the new criteria derive from bad experiences in the past. New mindsetsand new breakthroughs in management are carrying over into the blossoming fieldof emergency management. Emergency management, in Florida’s experience, issomewhat like the seeds of a pine tree; both require outside disasters to free themfrom the theoretical potential and turn them into viable actualities that take on livesof their own. They tend to take root in the ashes and rubble of a disaster, despite theheat, despite the worst of conditions. Change only happens quickly when it is pro-vided with a stimulus; we see this as clearly in government as we do in biologicalevolution. Rapid transition and growth occur in the aftermath when new concepts,ideas, methods, and life forms have as much of a chance as the older, more rootedways/varieties.

Florida’s stimulus to create one of the best emergency management programs inthe country, the “fire” that started it all, was Hurricane Andrew. In 1992, HurricaneAndrew hit Florida as a category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of over 140 miles(270 kilometers) per hour. The most densely populated regions of South Floridawere devastated. People, pets, and structures were damaged and displaced. Therewas no lack of generosity from around the state and the country, but those wantingto provide assistance were not well organized to answer the call for help. Somethinghad to be able to coordinate emergency response and rebuilding and to facilitate col-laboration of all interested parties during and after, not only Andrew, but other disas-ters as well. That “something” was the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC).The SEOC is part of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). Itis the state command center in times of disaster for the 17 Emergency SupportFunctions (ESFs). ESFs coordinate specific categories of assistance common to all

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disasters. Some types of disasters rely more heavily on certain ESFs. All of theseunits are represented in one location, so if representatives from one ESF need assis-tance from another ESF to perform their duties, they know exactly where to find thepeople with the jurisdiction and the resources to complete the task. All ESFs areauthorized in advance to use whatever agencies, people, and funds are necessary torespond to the crisis. This infrastructure enables Florida to deal with hurricanes,floods, fires, and even animal diseases and disasters. FDEM also constantly workson new contingency plans for man-made problems such as Y2K (the “millenniumbug”), nuclear meltdowns, hazardous material spills, and terrorism.

CONCLUSION

Florida’s infrastructure allows us to deal with any emerging threat or disaster,regardless of whether we have encountered it before or not. The emergency manage-ment system is flexible. It adapts. It assimilates new resources into the existingsystem and allocates them where they are most useful. This allows for a more nearlyomniscient body to coordinate smaller units, eliminating both gaps in response andoverlaps due to mis-communication.

The dynamics of world trade, disease and Florida’s animal populations are con-stantly changing. We can only develop contingency plans and procedures for whatwe can anticipate, and we simply cannot anticipate every problem requiring aresponse. Our solution in Florida is to have a system, an infrastructure, to counterboth known and unknown situations.

This ideology in Florida has already begun to bridge some of the gaps betweentraditional animal livestock industry and animal welfare organizations because theyall have to work together to respond to a crisis. This ideology percolates from a city,county or farm level up through state and federal emergency management agencies.This infrastructure can assimilate additional resources, agencies and concernsbecause it is both structured enough and flexible enough to balance or juggle “onemore thing.”

Reacting to changing dynamics in world trade, disease and Florida’s animal pop-ulations requires an adaptable balance. With a little training and practice, we can per-form in front of a live audience, even without the net.