27 January
THE Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF) has sent a letter to lawmakers deliberating on the the Animal Health and Livestock Breeding Development Bill, asking them to exclude the fisheries sector from the purview of the new bill, as the Aquaculture Law is already in place for the sector .
After an announcement by the government, seeking public opinion on the bill, which appeared in state-run newspapers on 22 December, the MFF forwarded its suggestions to the Speaker of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the speakers of the Amyotha Hluttaw and the Pyithu Hluttaw, the chairmen of the Bill Committees, and the Union Minister’s Office. The MFF has also made a request to the bill committees, asking them to meet the concerned persons and hold a faceto- face discussion.
“The Animal Health and Development Law is the existing law in Myanmar, and the government is now drafting the Animal Health and Livestock Breeding Development Bill. As per the existing law, animals include land animals and bees. But the new bill will include aquatic mammals. That is why the MFF has asked lawmakers to exclude aquatic mammals from the bill,” said U Win Kyaing, the General Secretary of the MFF.
“The country has enacted the Myanmar Marine Fisheries Law and the Freshwater Fisheries Law for the fisheries sector. Since its inception, the fisheries sector has been under the management of the Department of Fisheries. The sector is broad and includes marine fisheries, freshwater fisheries, fish farming, and export,” he said. “The livestock breeding sector is managed by the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department,” he said. “Businesspersons feel that they are likely to face difficulties if the sector is under the management of not only the Department of Fisheries but also other departments,” said U Win Kyaing. The MFF has also urged the relevant organizations, state and region fisheries associations, and individuals to forward their suggestions on the bill. The MFF has suggested that lawmakers amend the existing Aquaculture Law, if necessary, instead of adding the fisheries sector to the Animal Health and Livestock Breeding Development Bill.
Under the Animal Health and Livestock Breeding Development Bill, the term ‘animals’ includes terrestrial animals living entirely on land, aquatic animals living in the water, and amphibians that rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. The draft law also defines ‘fisheries’ as production of wild-caught or farmed aquatic animals and amphibians, living or breeding in freshwater and saltwater.
The key objectives of the draft law are to develop the country’s animal health and livestock breeding industry, boost production of feedstuff and veterinary drug and animal accessories, conduct more animal research and educative programmes, increase production of animal products not only for local consumption but also for export, boost production of safe and nutritional animal products, protect animal species and resources, and promote collaboration between the government, organizations, and international bodies to get quality breeds of animals. The drafted law will include provisions to deter violence against animals. It also aims to systematically manage the prevention and control of outbreaks of infectious animal diseases. By Aye Yamon
(Translated by Khaing Thanda Lwin)
