WSPA report reveals problems at CFIA
Jun 2, 2010
© WSPA
Today, the World Society for the Protection of Animals released alarming findings from a review of Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) animal transport inspection reports. WSPA believes that animals are suffering due to lax enforcement and ineffective legislation and is calling for changes at the CFIA and to the regulations.
WSPA examined CFIA inspector reports, for a three month period, used to assess compliance with the animal transport regulations under the Health of Animals Act. The reports show that animals are arriving at their destinations seriously injured, dead and overcrowded.
They also indicate that CFIA is weak and inconsistent in how they report the problems and enforce the rules. Additional information WSPA found shows that when penalties are issued, they seldom result in more than a paltry fine.
WSPA also discovered that there is only one CFIA animal inspector for every two million animals that are slaughtered annually – which makes it impossible for the agency to properly enforce its own regulations and raises serious concerns for both the welfare of the animals and the safety of Canada’s food supply.
Key findings:
- Unacceptable numbers of animals, particularly chickens, die during transport. According to CFIA statistics, two to three million animals arrive dead each year.
- Animals are transported in overcrowded conditions. Many animals are so crowded that they cannot lie down or turn around.
- Severely injured, crippled and sick animals are transported in contravention of the Health of Animals regulations.
- Severely compromised animals are transported and left to suffer for prolonged periods in contravention of the Health of Animals regulations.
- A shortage of specially-trained animal welfare inspectors, particularly veterinarians, puts animal health and welfare at risk.
- CFIA’s reporting and enforcement are often weak and inconsistent.
- Animals suffer as a result of poor driver training.
WSPA's recommendations:
- Improve enforcement: increase the number of CFIA animal inspectors, ensure that animal inspectors are specifically trained, increase the frequency of inspections and remove ambiguous words from the legislation.
- Implement incentives and deterrents: economic incentives are needed to encourage better animal welfare practices, and stronger penalties are needed to discourage cruelty.
- Strengthen regulations: reduce transport times, establish mandatory maximum loading densities, equip vehicles with heating and cooling systems, train drivers and handlers on animal welfare and behaviour, prohibit electric prods.
WSPA launched the review after the 2008 Listeriosis outbreak raised questions about meat safety. Since more than 700 million animals are slaughtered in Canada each year, and most are transported at least once, we had concerns for the health and welfare of the animals. WSPA submitted an access to information request at the end of 2008, and it took nearly a year before we began receiving the reports requested — and we still haven't received them all.
WSPA feels that our concern for animal welfare has been validated by the findings and we are raising the issues with the CFIA and Members of Parliament.
To read the full report, click here.
What you can do
We're asking Canadians to send letters about this issue to their Members of Parliament to encourage them to support stronger animal transport regulations and enforcement.
Send your letter at: http://www.wspa.ca/curbthecruelty
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