Question Period Note: ANIMAL WELFARE AND TRANSPORTATION

Q1 – What actions are taken by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at federally inspected abattoirs to prevent avoidable suffering of animals during their handling and slaughtering? Q2 – What is this Government doing to facilitate the transportation of animals during emergency situations? Q3 – What is this Government doing to the reduce suffering of animals during transportation? Q4 – What is this Government doing to address concerns on Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) for transporters regarding the potential impact on animal welfare while trying to comply with the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations?

R.1 - Under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, every slaughter establishment that is federally inspected must have a preventive control plan. This plan must include measures to prevent or eliminate avoidable suffering, injury or death of animals during their handling and slaughtering.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is on site at all times to verify that licence holders effectively implement these plans and follow the applicable animal welfare laws.

When a licence holder does not meet its obligations, inspectors will intervene using appropriate enforcement tools and request corrective action to ensure a return to compliance. R.2 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency amended the Health of Animals Regulations in 2021, to facilitate the evacuation of regulated animals through Canada and the US, in emergency situations. R.3 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency amended the humane transport regulations to prevent avoidable suffering of animals during transport. While the amendments came into force in February 2020, industry was provided with an additional two-year compliance period that ended in February 2022.

Under Canada’s humane transport regulations, there are maximum timeframes during which livestock and poultry can be transported before they are given feed, water and rest. For example, weaned healthy cattle must be given feed, water and rest at 36-hour intervals.

Animal welfare research is reviewed and considered when making regulations. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will adjust regulations as necessary and as new scientific evidence becomes available. R.4 - The Government recognizes that transporting livestock is complex. Animal welfare, driver safety, and public safety must all be considered. Scheduling trips that comply with the rules for both driver safety and animal welfare will always be a challenge.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has established guidance on the requirements related to feed, water and rest times for animals in transport when unforeseen circumstances occur. Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspectors will verify that the truck operator has demonstrated that the decisions made were in the best interest of animal welfare. 

Health of Animals Act and the Health of Animals Regulations

Under the Health of Animals Act (HAA) and the Health of Animals Regulations (HAR), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has legislative authority for the humane transport of animals entering or leaving Canada or within Canada. Under the Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations (SFCA/SFCR), the CFIA has oversight of the humane slaughter of food animals in federally inspected slaughter plants. A CFIA directive requires inspectors to report animal abuse to the appropriate enforcement agency when these issues fall outside of the CFIA’s jurisdiction and mandate.

The CFIA’s amended humane transport regulations came into force in February 2020; however, full compliance by industry took effect in February 2022. The amendments provide clarification by adding definitions; improve animal welfare during transport; reduce the risk of suffering during transportation; better align with Canada’s international trading partners; and remove obsolete or unnecessary requirements.

The CFIA implemented a two-year compliance promotion period ending February 20, 2022, specifically in relation to feed, water and rest maximum interval requirements in the amendments to allow time for industry to work out logistical issues and work on effective ways to comply. At this time, the CFIA does not plan to prioritize enforcement efforts where the maximum intervals without feed, water and rest for ruminants of 9 days of age and older are exceeded by less than four hours and all animal welfare outcomes are being met. This will provide the needed flexibility to the beef and dairy/veal industry until research currently in progress can be finalized. The CFIA will continue to consult with industry and researchers on humane transport issues and to identify future research needs.

Media coverage on studies from the Beef Cattle Research Council on transportation outcomes suggests different interpretations between the cattle sector and the CFIA. Results of this specific study will be reviewed by the CFIA, along with other research currently in progress.

Government of Canada participation in groups and support for projects to improve animal welfare practices (AAFC content)

The Government of Canada participates in national and international groups and organizations that are working together to improve and harmonize animal welfare practices throughout all phases of production and slaughter.

Moreover, the Government provides support through assurance programming, including under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriAssurance Program, which supports systems aimed at protecting plant and animal health and welfare, including the development of traceability systems and Codes of Practice for the care and handling of farm animals.  

Throughout the years, via their programs, federal, provincial and territorial governments have consistently ensured that complementary funding has been available for livestock producers to meet traceability requirements. For example, the AgriAssurance Program supported the Canadian Sheep Federation to evaluate the capacity of the AgroLedger system to meet traceability reporting needs and identify areas where the technology can support industry programs.

More recently, the AgriAssurance Program approved an Animal Health Canada (AHC) project for up to $4.8 million aimed at improving animal welfare. This project will support the updating of numerous codes of practices, such as those related to: Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chicken, and Turkeys; Beef Cattle; Equine; Pigs; and Sheep. In addition, the Pullets and Laying Hens Code will be amended, and three other older Codes will undergo reviews to ensure that they continue to mitigate evolving risks.

This project builds upon the work done under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and is being managed by the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), which is a division of Animal Health Canada (previously named the National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council).

Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) for transporters of livestock

Transport Canada (TC) made amendments to their regulations to now require the use of ELDs by all transporters. This means the tracking of hours electronically is now mandatory, however the rules around transporters hours of service have not changed. Livestock transporters and the national livestock industry groups have been asking TC to provide more flexibilities to livestock haulers around these rules.

TC was consulted during Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s update of the provisions under the Health of Animals Regulations pertaining to the transportation of animals. CFIA and TC worked together to ensure that the Health of Animals Regulations do not conflict with the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations.

TC confirmed with industry that the introduction of ELDs has not affected the availability of regulatory flexibilities for hours of service when transporting animals. For example, a driver who encounters adverse driving conditions while transporting animals may increase their driving time by up to two hours to complete the trip, assuming the trip could have been completed under normal driving conditions. “Adverse driving conditions” is a broad term meant to cover any number of issues (e.g., weather, delays due to accidents or road closures, etc.). This exception can only be used in the context of an animal welfare emergency. TC is responsible for ensuring that regulated parties understand how those exceptions can be used. TC’s regulations are enforced by the provinces and territories.

The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food tabled a report titled “Striking a Balance: Electronic Logging Device Requirements Impacting Animal Transportation” in December 2023.

In March 2024, Transport Canada, in collaboration with both CFIA and AAFC, provided the Government Response to the recommendations in this report. As a result of one of the recommendations, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) revised the relevant sections of the Guideline to offer industry guidance on defining emergencies and their application when transporting live animals, while ensuring compliance with the Federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations.

The Government is committed to protecting the health and well-being of animals entering, leaving, or being transported within Canada and to slaughter facilities.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspectors are present in federally inspected abattoirs when slaughter operations are underway and intervene and request corrective action when there are concerns about animal welfare.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has also established guidance for inspectors to verify that the requirements related to animals in transport are followed.