Clearwater County Highlights October/November | Page 23

NOV. 2016 |

23

Livestock Transportation Recently in Public Spotlight

New Codes of Practice for Care and
Handling of Farm Animals Will Likely
Resolve Concerns
Transportation of farm animals is a hot
topic lately. It is a subject that relates directly
to social licence in agriculture and tends to
unfairly form public perception about how
farmers treat their livestock.
Due to visibility this practice experiences
increasing scrutiny. Public complaints arise
over delays at border crossings, long distance
travel and misperceptions about handling.
Livestock transportation has come a long
way, improvements have minimized the need
for steep loading chutes and cattle prods,
substantially reducing injuries and bruising.
For long-distance travel, commercial haulers use checkerboard flooring or rubber mats
to improve footing and segregated compartments for different classes of livestock. The
majority of operators are required to take
livestock handling and stockmanship courses.
A 2007 study by Dr. Karen SchwartzkopfGenswein of Agriculture and Agri-Food Cana-

da, indicated that 99.9% of cattle transported
in Alberta arrive at their destination with no
serious problems.
Federal and Provincial legislation is in
place to ensure driver and animal safety;
those not in compliance may be fined or
prosecuted. If their actions are considered to
involve neglect or animal abuse they could be
charged under the Criminal Code of Canada.
The agricultural industry has taken the
initiative to be involved in the development
of the recently released Codes of Practice
for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals,
developed by the National Farm Animal Care
Council (NFACC).
Requirements outlined are based on current
legislation and recommendations to assist all
those involved in the transportation process.
It is unfortunate that there are still a small
number of neglect issues that occur and
further regulation is necessary. On the other
hand, the agricultural industry, as a whole,
should be congratulated for taking the initiative to create a new set of codes focused on
improving and guaranteeing animal welfare.

99.9%
of cattle
transported
in Alberta
arrive
at their
destination
with no
serious
problems.

www.clearwatercounty.ca