January 17, 2005 - Feds Ignore Animal Welfare

 

The Federal Government’s avian flu review ignores animal welfare CFIA had no standard operating procedures for humane slaughter, says humane society report.

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s review of BC’s avian flu crisis blatantly ignores serious animal welfare concerns over how millions of chickens and other birds were slaughtered during the outbreak, says the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS). The review was released today.

 

“The CFIA’s review does not contain a single mention of animal welfare,” said Debra Probert, VHS executive director. “During the outbreak, serious questions were raised by animal protection groups, the media and the public over the methods used by the CFIA to kill millions of animals but they have been completely ignored.”

 

VHS has documented its concerns in a report, also released today, which says the CFIA refused to allow scrutiny of the slaughter by the BCSPCA or an independently-appointed veterinarian. Except for one instance, the CFIA also refused to videotape the slaughter process, says the report. The VHS report also questions the CFIA’s use of C02 gas for the cull. It quotes several studies suggesting that alternative mixes of gases could be more humane. “The CFIA refused to even consider looking at alternative methods and it’s evident from this review that they have no intention to do so,” said Probert. “It’s clear that animal welfare is not very high on their agenda.”

 

The report cites evidence showing that, in the initial stage of the outbreak, the CFIA used a portable electrical stunning chute to kill infected chickens, resulting in an ‘awkward, inconsistent kill.’ Probert said this evidence, along with comments to VHS by CFIA officials, is a clear indication that the CFIA had no standard operating procedures in place for humane slaughter. “It appears that they didn’t know how to conduct a humane slaughter on this scale. Now they are refusing to learn from their mistakes.”

 

Probert attended the joint industry/government forum in Abbotsford in October 2004 and raised the issue with CFIA representatives at that time. A VHS representative, Peter Fricker, will be in attendance at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food hearings in Abbotsford tomorrow and Wednesday (January 18 and 19).

 

The VHS report, A gentle and easy death?-An examination of animal welfare issues during the 2004 avian influenza outbreak in British Columbia, can be viewed at: www.vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca