The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is accepting public comment on proposed changes governing livestock transportation under the Health of Animals Act of 1975. The regulations address the transportation of all species of livestock into, out of, and within Canada by any mode of transport.
The regulations were enacted to prohibit poor practices and reduce the risk of injury, suffering or death of animals in transit. CFIA officials indicate that the modifications are necessary to update the regulations to reflect changes in transportation practices, scientific information and accepted standards developed since the regulations were first enacted.
The CFIA is soliciting public input earlier in the process than normal due to the significance of the proposed changes. Stakeholders are being given the opportunity to provide comment on whether or not amendments to the regulation are necessary and the wording of any amendment prior to publishing the proposed changes in the Canada Gazette Part 1. A formal comment period will follow publication.
Although most stakeholders agree that the current regulations should be re-visited, they also express concerns about the specifics of the proposed changes. Most of the concerns involve factors such as the duration of transport, stocking densities and requirements for rest periods, feed and water during transport. Livestock industry representatives are encouraging the CFIA to model any changes in the regulation around codes of practice already adopted by the various species groups. In that way, the regulation would keep pace with industry changes as new technologies are adopted or new scientific information becomes available.
Source:
Farmscape.ca, Article 2157