Opinion:CFIA should heed science, as it always claims to do

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s livestock transport regulations appear to be a compromise between science and popular opinion.

In fact, the agency has said as much.

CFIA’s new policy requires the offloading of cattle for eight hours after 36 hours of travel. But another federal government department has research that contradicts the need for weaned or fat calves — the ones most likely to see longer rides — to be unloaded, fed, watered, rested and reloaded.

Three scientific studies by Agriculture Canada have concluded that the above-noted CFIA regulation brings no benefit. The science suggests that offloading and reloading delays arrival with little to no benefit for the cattle, potentially increasing the risk of injury and threatening biosecurity.

Domestically, cattle moving to and from Alberta or Saskatchewan and Ontario would be the most likely loads affected by the new rules. Stops in Thunder Bay are now required to meet regulations and investments have been made there to accommodate the added livestock traffic.

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