Review of identification and traceability legislation for pigs in Australia

To assess Australia's capability to trace pig movements in the event of an exotic disease outbreak by highlighting the commonalities and inconsistencies between the various state and territory legislations in defining how pig producers are located; their pigs are identified; and whether movement records are required post-farm gate.

A review of the identification and traceability legislation applicable to pigs in Australia was undertaken over a 6 month period. The appropriate legislative Acts and Regulations were downloaded from the Australasian Legal Information Institute internet site (http://www.austlii.edu.au/) and reviewed.

The Australian pig industry currently uses the branding method (tattooing) to identify pigs for sale or slaughter, with each state responsible for its own pig identification and movement control systems. Areas of concern identified included inconsistencies with the minimum weight or age of pigs that require identification; discrepancies between methods of tattoo registration and shortfalls in documentation for recording pig movements.

Our findings highlight the flaws in Australia's current state legislative Acts and Regulations for identifying pigs and tracking their movements, which compromise the ability of jurisdictions to meet the endorsed National Performance Standards. Improvements in these areas will enhance security to the pig and other livestock industries in the event of future exotic disease outbreaks.