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 for animal welfare. 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 intervene using appropriate controls or 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 United States, in emergency situations. R.3 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency amended the humane transport regulations to prevent avoidable suffering of animals during transport.

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. The regulations also include requirements to prevent the animals from sustaining a nutritional deficit, becoming dehydrated or exhausted during transport. R.4 - The regulatory authority for Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations rests exclusively with Transport Canada.

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.

Transporters are required to have contingency plans that establish measures to be taken to comply with the humane transport regulations if unforeseen delays or circumstances occur.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has established guidance on the requirements related to feed, water, and rest times for animals in transport. When rare unforeseen circumstances occur, inspectors may use discretion enforcing these requirements, provided 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 handling and 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 and full compliance took effect in February 2022. The amendments provide clarification by adding definitions; improve animal welfare during transport; minimize the risk of suffering during transportation; better align with Canada’s international trading partners; and remove obsolete or unnecessary requirements.

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 three Animal Health Canada (AHC) projects aimed at improving animal welfare. These projects 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.

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

• 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.

• Transporters are required to have contingency plans that respect animal welfare if unforeseen delays or circumstances occur.