The ASEAN Animal Identification and Traceability System (AAITS) emphasizes the importance of tracking animal and product movements with a farm to fork approach in order to ensure public health, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. The AAITS aims to establish a uniform system across ASEAN Member States for identifying individual animals or groups, their locations, and movement histories, crucial for controlling disease outbreaks. The key components of the AAITS include premises identification, animal identification, and traceability system, and standards for data elements and identification devices. The system will be implemented in phases, focusing on premises identification, inter-country and intra-country commerce tracking, and technology integration in processing plants and markets. The goal is to enable efficient trace back of animals within 48 hours of a disease outbreak. The Plan also details the technical aspects of the system, such as the use of Radio Frequency Identification devices technology for animal identification, the creation of a central database for tracking animal movements, and the establishment of security protocols to protect data integrity. The AAITS is designed to be managed by each country’s Veterinary Department, with an ASEAN Repository to facilitate data sharing and traceability across member states. The system’s success hinges on industry and government collaboration to adopt and maintain the necessary standards and infrastructure.
2017-09-28