Aftosa Quarantine

The highlighted area of the article below is of interest to the Othon family and other ranchers in Darien because their cattle ranch lies in the area that is under quarantine to halt the contamination of aftosa (hoof & mouth disease in hoofed animals)before it gets to Central America, Canada, and the USA,. When this disease found anywhere in the world all the animals are sacrificed to prevent the spread of this disease. Because of the quarantine ranchers ability to sell their cattle is limited because of these economic health-related issues. However, they can and did export the animals south and import animals from the north.

I remember two occasions of import, export while I lived there. A huge Brahman bull imported from the US to improve the stock, and a sale of I don’t remember how many, sold to somewhere south. Both were big events in town and all turned out to watch this bull being transferred from the boat to the land. Exciting days!

It’s been many years that I have had first-hand information of all this activity. The principles involved have gotten old or passed away and times have changed so the outcome for the farm is in other hands but if the ranch is not attended for it will return to the jungle it was.

This is an article about the proposed highway going thru the gap that I’ve added here about the Choco Indians and the effect it will have on the rainforest and the Choco.

DECISION AT DARIEN GAP

The Choco Indians of Panama live simply, finding food and shelter in the jungles that surround them. Hunting, gathering, farming, and trading are their means of survival. The climate is hot and humid. They wear little clothing. Their huts, open sided and thatch-roofed, blend into the forest. Their home is Darien, a province of Panama covering much of the country east of the Canal Zone. Like other “primitive” peoples, they seem doomed to cultural extinction The impact of the highway, and the ensuing exploitation of Darien’s na natural resources is enormous. Constrution will introduce air and noise pollution to a previously quiet and pollution-free environment. Deforestation of the hills and valleys by lumber companies will cause extreme soil erosion. Habitat for animals and rare plants dependent on the forests will be destroyed. Aftosa, a hoof-and-mouth disease of livestock, now largely re restricted to South America, has ravaged cattle and wildlife populations in past outbreaks. Completion of the Darien Gap Highway will greatly increase the chances of aftosa spreading north ward into Mexico and the Southwestern United States.

You can read the complete article here

DECISION AT DARIEN GAP (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256445724_DECISION_AT_DARIEN_GAP [accessed Jan 06 2018].