Higher fines for inhumane transport of limited use without proper inspection
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced on October 29th that it will now charge fines of up to $10,000 to livestock haulers who violate regulations meant to protect animals under the Health of Animals Act. This figure is more than double the previous maximum penalty.
The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) has for years been calling on the government to improve its regulations for animal transportation and get serious about inspection and enforcement. Every year in Canada, 2 to 3 million farm animals arrive at slaughterhouses already dead following grueling journeys lasting up to 2 days on overcrowded trucks with no water, food or rest. Another 11 million arrive so sick or injured they have to be condemned from human consumption.
This summer, a report released by the World Society for the Protection of Animals revealed rampant mistreatment of farm animals during transportation, inadequate inspection and lax enforcement of regulations. Based on government inspection reports from a period spanning two years, the report shows that inspectors were often absent when animals were unloaded. When they were present, their enforcement of regulations was weak and inconsistent. Many loads that were in clear violation of the regulations were met with warnings or educational pamphlets or, in some cases, simply marked compliant.
We sincerely hope that the increase in maximum fines announced by the CFIA last week marks a new direction for the government, in which protecting animal welfare is taken seriously as one of the agency’s key responsibilities. If this is the case, then we expect to see long-promised improvements to the regulations finally introduced, along with a dramatic increase in both the number of inspectors monitoring livestock transportation and the training they receive to enforce animal welfare rules.
If, however, there are no changes to the regulations or to the CFIA’s inspection and enforcement capacity, the CFHS believes that this increase in the maximum fine will have little noticeable effect on animal welfare. With so few inspectors on the road, at livestock auctions and at slaughterhouses, the likelihood that a given trucker will be fined for any violation remains low.
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