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NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION
SYSTEM (NAIS)
Updated: January 23, 2006
By Ray Hoyt
In the Summer 2005 issue of Memo, I
ran an article entitled “National Animal Identification
System.” The USDA officially recognized this program on
11/8/04. The following livestock species are affected:
camelids (llamas & alpacas), cattle & bison, cervids (deer &
elk), equine, goats, poultry, sheep and swine. The system
comprises three key components, to be sequentially
established over time:
• Premises Identification
• Animal Identification
• Animal Tracking from Premises to Premises
Premises Identification, already
underway, is done through state veterinarians, who have been
trained by USDA in a standardized registration system. THIS
IS NOT THE SAME AS THE SCRAPIE PREMISES REGISTRATION. This
Premises Identification system registers premises with a
seven-character number which will be integrated into a
nationwide database.
The second phase of this system is
the Animal Identification portion. USDA has been saying,
through all of this, that “industry” will determine which
type of identification method works best for each species.
These methods could include radio frequency identification
tags (microchips), retinal scans, DNA, tattoos, eartags, or
others. The troubling aspect of this is that USDA is
attempting to move to a standard way to identify animals.
Their ultimate goal is to create an effective, uniform
system, that, they say, will help maintain the health of
U.S. herds and flocks. For purposes of “industry”
participation in developing the identification system,
“working groups” have been established for each species. For
goats, the Goat Working Group (GWG) is operational, chaired
by Linda Campbell (representing ADGA) from Luray, VA. I am a
member of this group; I have been designated by the NPGA
Board of Directors to represent the interests of our
national membership. There are 20 members of the GWG. I have
the latest roster with where they are from, email addresses,
and whom they represent.
At the outset, USDA said that
participation in this entire system is voluntary. Word
continues to circulate that, at some point, compulsory will
likely replace voluntary with respect to regulations that
USDA might impose. Neil Hammerschmidt, a USDA representative
has said, just a few weeks ago, that the Secretary of
Agriculture had no intention of moving beyond the voluntary
phase of this plan. Can we take that to the bank?
There are a number of developments
of which our members should be aware:
1) The website (www.animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais) provides
much information promulgated by USDA on the whole program.
2) The United Animal Owners Alliance is circulating an
online petition addressed to both the Congress and USDA,
claiming that the NAIS, including USAIP & NAID, is an
unconstitutional invasion of privacy, among other things.
The petition can be found at:
www.unitedanimalownersalliance.com/petitions.html.
On the UAOA homepage, click on Petitions; and then on Stop
Animal Identification Now.
3) A brand new organization - United States Animal
Identification Organization - has been formed which claims
to be working with every segment of the animal industry and
the animal health authorities, and seeks to manage the
industry-led animal identification movement database as
prescribed by NAIS. USAIO has already submitted a Memorandum
of Understanding to USDA presuming to develop and operate
the database on industry’s behalf! The obvious questions
that surface:
-
Is USDA complicit in forming USAIO?
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Is the cattle industry behind USAIO because they object to
USDA maintaining any database due to Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) reasons?
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How can USAIO presume to represent industry with whom they
do not interface?
4) A Goat Working Group chat group is operational where we,
as GWG members, can exchange information, opinions, etc.
with each other. A number of GWG members have already
weighed in on their total nonsupport of any eartag
requirement for goats.
5) The Goat Working Group has a new website (usanimalid.com)
to provide information of general interest on the NAIS.
Comments that are generated from this website are forwarded
to all GWG members. I receive and read all of these email
comments. New additions to the website are added almost
daily as more GWG members submit their contributions. I am
submitting photos and current NPGA tattoo and microchip
requirements for inclusion on this site.
6) One of our GWG members from Oklahoma has recently
reported that the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture is
saying that USDA will approve a radio frequency
identification device in a button eartag “in a few weeks”
for some species, including goats. No one can confirm or
deny this information.
PLEASE SEND ME YOUR FEEDBACK ON
NAIS. IT WILL HELP ME REPRESENT YOU BETTER.
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