site.btaState of Emergency Declared in Several Municipalities Due to African Swine Fever

113 ECONOMY - STATE OF EMERGENCY - AFRICAN SWINE FEVER

State of Emergency Declared in
Several Municipalities
Due to African Swine Fever


 July 24 (BTA) - The northeastern regions of Pleven, Razgrad and Rousse have declared a state of emergency due to African swine fever.

In Pleven Region, the state of emergency will be in effect until July 31 but could be extended if needed. The operations will be headed by the director of the regional food safety department, Ivan Yordanov. The Regional Department of the Interior will provide assistance and, if necessary, personnel and equipment of the Defence Ministry and the military formations in the region will be used.

In Razgrad Region, the state of emergency will be in effect until July 30. Law enforcement representatives will assist the regional food safety department by controlling settlements' entry and exit points and providing information about swine in local people's farmyards so that unregistered animals would be destroyed. Lumbermen and people who gather mushrooms, herbs and other forest products are denied access, because they might become potential carries of the disease.

In Rousse Region, the state of emergency will be in effect until July 29 but could be extended after it is coordinated with the Interior Ministry. The operations will be headed by the regional food safety department, and the control on implementing the emergency measures will be exercised personally by the Regional Governor.

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The BSP for Bulgaria parliamentary group demand that the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry bear political responsibility for the entry and spread of African swine fever in Bulgaria, Socialist MP Pencho Milkov told a briefing in Parliament on Wednesday.

In his words, for more than two years the BSP for Bulgaria has been warning about the disease getting closer to the Bulgarian border. "The responsible individuals did not do their job two years ago, they did not act adequately in the days and hours when the disease entered Bulgaria, and they do not explain clearly to the citizens and owners what they have to do. Therefore, we believe they should bear political responsibility," Milkov said.

IG/DS


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