T

he Bali administration proposed a draft bylaw on rabies at a legislative council meeting Thursday to curb the widespread epidemic on the resort island.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika said the discussion on the draft bylaw could be accelerated to provide the government with strong legal basis to effectively implement various antirabies measures.

The rabies epidemic hit the tourist island of Bali last November when the first case of rabies was found in Ungasan village, Jimbaran.

Since the rabies outbreak, the Bali administration has launched several measures, including the mass culling of stray dogs, vaccination schemes and the issuance of executive instructions prohibiting the trafficking of dogs from affected regencies.

The current measures, however, have failed to curb the epidemic, which has spread to several other regencies including Tabanan, Gianyar, Bangli and Karangasem. Two regencies, Klungkung and Jembrana, are still free from rabies.

Under the proposed bylaw, the local authority will have the legal authority to impose stricter measures against pet owners that refuse to get their dogs vaccinated.

They will legally responsible for the care of their pets especially dogs, in connection with the antirabies prevention programs.

If the bylaw is passed, the administration will also have wider authority to implement additional antirabies programs and regulations.

Governor Pastika said the rabies epidemic had caused health concerns among residents in Bali. He also said the epidemic had created tension between authorities, the community and animal lovers in regard to the government's mass culling of stray dogs.

"People are now afraid of getting affected by animals that are vulnerable to the rabies virus, such as dogs, cats and monkeys," the governor said.

So far, around 26,759 stray dogs have been culled. The dog population in Bali is estimated at 500,000.

Pastika pointed out the rabies bylaw had two basic objectives. The first objective is to protect and to guarantee the rights of the public in relation to the rabies epidemic.

The bylaw protects the right of the public to access to health care and to live in a place that is rabies free.

"The rabies epidemic has threatened Bali's tourism industry; the island's economic backbone," Pastika added.

The second objective is to protect people's right to have dogs or other pets, he added.

Made Arjaya, chairman of Commission I at the Bali Legislative Council, lamented that they (members of the commission) would immediately discuss the draft of the rabies bylaw at the commission's third session early next month.

"We expect to finish discussing the draft in 2010," Arjaya said.