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The Latest on Regulations Affecting Animal Transport

“Rewriting Regulations: A Look at the

Transportation Issues in Revising Canada's  Health of Animals Regulations”

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has recommended changes which would modernize Part XII of Canada’s Health of Animals Regulations concerning the transportation of animals.  The proposed changes reflect input from industry, researchers, veterinarians, the federal and provincial governments, and animal protection organizations.  The following key themes stand out among the many comments submitted: 1) clarity and simplicity, 2) competence and responsibility, 3) technology transfer, and 4) continual improvement.  These can be seen as strategies for regulating the complex issue of live animal transportation.  Live animal transportation is characterized by the need to evaluate interactive, variable factors in an environment of emerging technology, high societal expectations, and sometimes, incomplete information. 

1) Clarifying the Expectations

There is universal support for amending the Regulations by clarifying or eliminating vague terms, such as “inadequate vehicle construction” and “likely to”, and by providing additional information.   As an example, there is a need for further detail to assist in the evaluation of an animal’s fitness for transport.  The current Regulations refer to “illness”, “injury” and “infirmity”.  More practical descriptions of conditions that render compromised animals unfit for transport, or in need of special provisions for transport, are an example of the type of additional information that would be helpful to producers, transporters, inspectors and other involved parties.  Revised Regulations would continue to strike a balance between outcome-based and prescriptive standards.

2) Competence and Responsibility

Driver and handler competence and broad responsibility for humane animal transportation are  common themes among stakeholder comments.  In 1998 the Regulations were amended by expanding responsibility from drivers and transport companies to anyone who causes animals to be loaded or transported.  The current proposed amendment would build on this idea by making commercial transport companies responsible for having their drivers trained in accordance with a set of minimal criteria.  Any party that transports animals or arranges for the transportation of animals would be required to plan each trip, taking into account the transportation risk factors.  These would be defined in the regulations.  As an example, reference to weather forecasts and a Livestock Safety Weather Index would be mandatory. 

Modernized Regulations would also endeavour to provide flexibility and the opportunity to apply professional judgment by emphasizing outcome-based language.  The final assessment of maximum acceptable loading densities, which are subject to a number of variable factors, would be contingent upon the impact on the animals.

3) Technology Transfer  

While awaiting the results of various transport-related research, there is no good reason not to use the information and tools that are available now.  In part, mandatory training would facilitate the transfer of new information and technology to those who can make the best use of it.  As suggested by several industry organizations, CFIA is recommending that the Regulations reference parts of the Live Animals Regulations of the International Air Transport Association and the loading densities from Canada’s Transportation Code of Practice.  Research in the United Kingdom and Canada has yielded sufficient information to justify livestock vehicle redesign for some species and classes of animals. 

The current Regulations allow for animals to be transported without unloading for feed, water and rest if the vehicle is suitably equipped for the purpose.  This can help to resolve concerns about biosecurity and the stress of unloading and reloading at rest stations.  CFIA is considering the idea of requiring temperature sensors in animal compartments and tachometers in trucks.  Satellite tracking was under consideration at an earlier stage.  Our analysis indicates that this would not be a practical regulatory requirement at this time. 

4) Continual Improvement

As regulations have an impact on the livelihood of regulated parties, they must be based on factual information, and implementation must be feasible.  There is growing interest in conducting further animal transportation research in Canada.  Scientific reports must be carefully reviewed for validity.  It may be best to phase in the implementation period for some requirements if the affected parties need time to make the necessary adjustments.  

CFIA welcomes the new knowledge that scientific research and industry experience can offer.  CFIA routinely monitors developments that may justify future amendments to the Regulations, as we work together with industry, scientists, veterinarians, animal welfarists, regulators and others for continual improvement.  

PowerPoint Presentation
 

 Dr. Wolf MAIER

European Commission

Delegation Counselor

Food Safety, Health and Consumer Affairs Section

2300 M Street, NW, Suite 300

Washington, D.C.  20037 USA

Tel:+1 202-862-9654

Fax:+1 202-429-1766

wolf-martin.maier@ec.europa.eu

www.eurunion.org

Bio-Info below power point

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“An Update on the EU Animal

 Transport Regulations”

Dr. Wolf MAIER

Counselor - European Commission Delegation

Food Safety, Health and Consumer Affairs Section

PowerPoint Presentation

Wolf Maier graduated as Agronomist at University Kassel in 1981 and as Veterinarian at Freie University Berlin (Germany) in 1987. In 1989 he received a Ph.D. from the same University based on research in molecular genetics carried out at the Institute for Human Genetics of the University of Goettingen (Germany). Since 1997 he holds a Diploma of the American Board of Toxicology.

 

From 1990-1998 Dr Maier worked in product safety assessment, and in issue management and public affairs, at Novartis Crop Protection (now named Syngenta) in Basle (Switzerland). In this function he was also seconded to Greensboro, NC, in 1996/97.

 

He joined the European Commission in 1998, initially in DG Agriculture, where he managed the EU program of pesticides evaluation and authorization. In 2002 Wolf Maier became responsible for food imports from the Asia-Pacific region in the International Food Safety Unit of DG Health and Consumer Protection. He also managed the Veterinary Agreement with New Zealand in this function.

 

Since January 2006, Dr. Maier is Counselor dealing with Health, Food Safety and Consumer Protection at the Delegation of the European Commission to the US, based in Washington, DC.

Dr. Jerry DePOYSTER

USDA, APHIS, Animal Care

Veterinary Medical Office

4700 River Road, Unit 84

Riverdale, MD 20737 USA

Tel:  +1 301-734-7833

Fax: +1 301-734-4978

Jerry.D.DePoyster@aphis.usda.gov

www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/

Dr. Jerry DePoyster is a true blue southerner practically raised in the swamps of Mississippi.  He is much more at home in the bayous than in Washington. However, as fate may have it, he is a Senior Veterinary Medical Officer on the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal Care.  Animal Care is a unit of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) which, in general, is concerned mostly with animal and plant disease eradication. For about 27 years he has worked for USDA, with the last 13 in USDA's Animal Care Unit.  His responsibilities on staff include, among many, the implementation of the Animal Welfare Act as it pertains to animals in transportation.  He is a graduate of Auburn Alabama Veterinary School and also has a degree in Medical Technology. 

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“An Overview of the Ongoing Development

of OIE's Animal Transport Guidelines”

Dr. Jerry DePOYSTER

USDA/APHIS, Animal Care

This presentation consisted of a brief introduction on the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the comment process on newly proposed standard/guidelines and an overview of the on-going development of farm animal welfare transportation  guidelines by the OIE. 

PowerPoint Presentation

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Last Updated: 26-Jan-2008