Ban vet diclofenac
Why is it necessary to ban diclofenac?
1. DICLOFENAC IS A PROVEN KILLER
In the 1990s, within the space of a few short years, the use of diclofenac in cattle led to the extinction of 99% of four species of vultures on the Indian subcontinent. This could happen in Europe.
2. BECAUSE VULTURES ARE IMPORTANT
As scavengers, vultures are adapted to consume foods that other species cannot process, including food that could be a source of infection for a lot of other animals. They are nature’s cleanup crew and this free service saves us billions of euros in sanitary measures.
3. BECAUSE WE HAVE THE EU’S BIGGEST VULTURE POPULATION
Spain, Portugal and Italy host 95% of the European Union’s vultures. Following the use of diclofenac in Asia and the massive use of poison in Africa, we have a responsibility to protect our European populations.
4. BECAUSE THE GREAT EAGLES ARE ALSO IN DANGER
Diclofenac’s deadly effect has also been detected in Steppe eagles. There is, therefore, a risk that other species could be affected, including globally threatened species like the Spanish (or Iberian) imperial eagle.
5. THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM IS UNKNOWN
There are not enough studies evaluating the impact of diclofenac on other scavenger species. This could negatively impact many other species, yet diclofenac has not been tested on any of them.
A recent study concluded that each year around 6,000 Griffon vultures in the country could die, each year, as a result of diclofenac use. This would result in a 70% decline within just 10 years.
6. BECAUSE THERE IS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE
Banning diclofenac will not have negative effects on the health of livestock or on the economy of livestock farmers. There are equally effective anti-inflammatory drugs that are safe for vultures and cost roughly the same. In fact, the drug is already banned in several countries such as India, Pakistan, Nepal and Iran.
7. BECAUSE THERE IS INSUFFICIENT CONTROL
Some veterinary authorities allege that it is enough to simply tell farmers not to use the drug to treat animals that are commonly consumed by scavengers. This is not a safe solution, as the authorities cannot control the good use of the product.
The presence of diclofenac in just 1% of livestock carcasses abandoned in fields was enough to wipe out vulture populations on the Indian subcontinent.
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