To block CWD, Tennessee bans all cervid imports

Worried about the spread of chronic wasting disease, Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commissioners are taking measures to prevent the disease from entering their state.

Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commissioners voted unanimously last month to ban all importation of cervid carcasses, regardless of what state they come from. This measure was supported by a number of hunter-conservation organizations and is hoped to be a strong measure in preventing CWD from entering the state of Tennessee.

The action expanded on a 2005 ban, which blocked the importation of cervid carcasses from states with confirmed cases of CWD.

CWD is caused by prions in the brain and other nervous tissue. This disease has been found in elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer in numerous U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

For more information, read the official rule.

Read the TWS standing position on wildlife disease.