Pork industry seeks to learn more information while feds review Health of Animals Regulations
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Reporter
Farms.com
Numerous factors can influence the wellbeing of swine when they are being transported, Dr. Yolande Seddon, an assistant professor in swine behaviour at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, said in a Farmscape interview yesterday
For example, weather conditions, stocking density, trailer temperature, trip duration, driver skill and the temperament of accompanying animals can all affect a pig during transport, she explained.
“Even the management of the animal prior to transport … will influence the outcome of the (trip),” Seddon said to Farmscape.
And, with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) proposed changes to Canada’s Health of Animals Regulations, the pork industry is interested in learning more about these factors, said Seddon, who is also an adjunct research scientist at the Prairie Swine Centre.
The CFIA proposed the following amendments to the regulations late last year, according to the July edition of the CFIA Chronicle:
- Reducing the length of time that animals in transport can go without access to food, water and rest
- Establishing new requirements for transportation that reflect industry standards and the needs of animals
- Introducing up-to-date standards for the welfare of animals being transported by land, air and sea
- Clarifying definitions and standards so that that industry members can have a stronger understanding of the requirements
“The current regulations for the humane transport of animals were developed in 1977 and few amendments have been made since then,” the CFIA stated. As a result, the CFIA would like to update the regulations.
A full list of the proposed amendments can be found on the Canada Gazette website.
Farms.com has reached out to Seddon for further comment.
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