An Echuca goat farmer will pay $2000 in fines and is on a 12-month good behaviour bond after he pleaded guilty to four charges under the Livestock Disease Control Act.
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Mark Emonson pleaded guilty for failing to inform an inspector of the goat sale, and making a false statement on a national vendor declaration form.
He pleaded guilty to the four charges under Livestock Disease Control Act 1994 at the Echuca Magistrates' Court.
Mr Emonson bought 175 goats suspected to have consumed restricted animal material (RAM) status from a Tasmanian seller.
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Animals consuming restricted animal material can pass on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE), which is known as scrapie in goats or mad cow disease in cattle.
Goats were sold to abattoir
Between May 2022 and August 2022, Mr Emonson sent goats with a RAM status to abattoirs on three occasions, but failed to advise an inspector that he had sold goats with a RAM status.
Mr Emonson was placed on a 12-month adjourned undertaking without conviction, with a special condition that he pay $2000 to the court fund.
Agriculture Victoria Animal Health and Welfare Compliance program manager Daniel Bode said the reporting requirements were aimed at preventing the spread of TSE.
"The Tasmanian Government notified Agriculture Victoria and a RAM status was applied to the goats," he said.
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"One of the conditions of the control order is an owner of ruminants, other than cattle, that have or are suspected to have consumed domestic RAM, is to provide written advice to an inspector within seven days of the ruminants being sold."
He said the advice must include purchaser details, and the NLIS device details of each animal.
He said Australia was currently free from TSE.
This story first appeared on the Stock and Land website.
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