Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Topic:
Information accompanying animals The objective of the TRACE Newsletter is to provide an overview of progress on proposed amendments to Part XV of the Federal Health of Animals Regulations (herein after referred to as the “Regulations”) that pertains to livestock identification and traceability. This sixth edition focuses on one of the key elements of the regulatory proposal: information accompanying animals.
Why are amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations being proposed?
The CFIA is proposing amendments to the Regulations to strengthen Canada’s livestock traceability system. Under the proposed amendments certain information will be required to accompany a load of animals and/or animal carcasses being transported.
Why is it important to require information accompanying animals?
Under the proposed regulations, when ruminants are moved from a departure site to a destination site, the operator of the destination site would be required to report, among other things, the premises identification number of the departure site and the date and time at which the animals were loaded in the vehicle at the departure site. The main objective for information accompanying animals is to support the operator of the destination site being compliant with this requirement.
Secondly, a record of an animal’s movements from one point to another throughout the supply chain would support compliance for the proposed requirement of animal movements being reported to Responsible Administrators (as described in Regulatory Update No.5). The recording of this information also supports accurate and timely disease investigations.
What information related to the movement of animals and carcasses would be required to accompany them?
For each load of animals transported from one departure site to a destination site, the transporters of the animals would be required to provide the following information to the operators of the destination site:
1) the premises identification number of the departure site and of the destination site
2) the date and time the animals or carcasses were loaded at the departure site
3) the quantity and species of animals loaded, and
4) the licence plate (or other identification) of the conveyance.
There is no required template and the information could be provided in an electronic or paper format. The information would need to be in a form that can be read without delay by any inspector and the operator of the destination site.
People that are required to ensure the information accompanies an animal or carcass, will also need to retain a copy of the document containing the information for two years.
There are already similar requirements in some provinces
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba currently have provincial requirements for information to accompany animals. These existing provincial requirements would continue to be valid and complement the Federal proposal. In fact, the proposed Federal requirements not only align with the existing provincial requirements and documentation requirements, but also with the existing requirement for information to accompany pigs or pig carcasses under Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations; and, with Part XII of the Health of Animals Regulations respecting the humane transportation of live animals.
When would this information not be required to accompany animals?
The proposed requirement would not apply to:
• Animals and carcasses of animals transported for import and export (import permits and export certificates already apply)
• Ruminants and their carcasses transported within a farm (as their movements would not be required to be reported)
• Pigs or pig carcasses that are transported between contiguous parts of a farm (an exemption is already in place)
Supporting compliance for proposed requirements
The use of a livestock manifest is required by the four Western provincial governments. However, to support transporters with compliance in provinces that do not currently require any movement documentation, a movement document template will be made available on the CFIA website.
When can I comment on the proposed regulations?
Following the publication of the proposed regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette, stakeholders will have 75 days to provide comment. CFIA will review and consider all comments received prior to finalizing the regulatory amendments and publishing them in Part II of the Canada Gazette.
