Ottawa-The federal government needs to be constantly vigilant for livestock diseases to support the biosecurity efforts adopted by farmers and others involved in protecting the health of animals, says the Commons agriculture committee.

The livestock sector has adopted many measures to protect farm animals and prepare to respond to disease outbreaks and federal agencies should help more, the committee said in a report.

The federal government should ensure veterinarians have a full arsenal of vaccines and other health products available to treat animal disease outbreaks, notably by making the regulatory approval process for these products more efficient, the report said.

At the same time, Canada needs more veterinarians and the government should help new Canadians with foreign credentials enter practice quickly.

During its hearings, the committee heard from representatives of veterinarians and animal vaccine developers about the difficulties they face in helping producers and others care for their animals effectively.

The government should work closely “with international partners to share best practices and coordinate efforts in enhancing biosecurity measures, especially considering the ease with which diseases can cross borders in a globalized world.”

It should increase funding for the development and implementation of innovative biosecurity technologies and practices, such as sensor technologies, automated disinfection systems and improved animal traceability systems; and conduct annual reviews of biosecurity protocols in collaboration with industry stakeholders to ensure that the measures are up-to-date and effective, the report said.

A national awareness campaign on the importance of biosecurity measures and high animal welfare standards in preventing the spread of animal diseases should be developed for both the livestock sector and the general public.

Public-private partnerships should be encouraged to develop new vaccines, treatments for animal diseases, and best management practices. Canada should work with trusted jurisdictions to develop animal medications to ensure long-term accessibility to these products.

Vaccine banks should be developed and maintained, as proposed for Foot and Mouth Disease, to allow for a rapid response in the event of an outbreak, the report said.

The government should review the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s compensation policy, when the destruction of animals is ordered, to include all cleaning and disinfection costs.

Canadian border and inspection services should have the necessary resources to detect any biosecurity threats to Canadian livestock without interfering with movement of goods at border posts and points of entry.

Increased penalties should be imposed to encourage compliance with the Health of Animals Act’s requirements for imports of food and animal goods.

The government should review its regulatory requirements for the disposal of Specified Risk Material to allow Canadian beef producers to compete more effectively in international markets and to increase regional beef slaughtering capacity, while ensuring that any changes it makes neither jeopardize biosecurity nor compromise Canada’s negligible risk status for BSE.

Animal disease outbreaks can have important consequences for animal and human health, food security, and international trade. The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) explains that increased volumes of people and goods travelling across borders, as well as shifting animal migratory patterns due in part to climate change, have created new pathways for animal health risks to spread more widely.

The Reportable Diseases Regulations currently list 33 reportable animal diseases, each of which affects different species and production types.

The full report is available at https://www.ourcommons.ca/docu...

This news report was prepared for National Newswatch.