Ottawa—Farm groups and processors say a bill to ban the export of horses for slaughter in Japan could set a dangerous precedent for the entire agriculture sector.

The bill from Kitchner-Conestoga Liberal MP Tim Louis, now under study by the Commons agriculture committee, has the potential to create a negative impact across the entire livestock industry, the groups say.

The bill would prevent the slaughter of horses that are bred and raised for the Japanese horse meat market and is not concerned with how well they are treated while being flown there.

“We are concerned that policy is being proposed without any regards to the science behind the legislation and regulations. We are also concerned with the precedent this sets in Canada.”

The groups are the Canadian Cattle Association, the Canadian Meat Council, the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, the Canadian Pork Council, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Canadian Sheep Federation and the National Cattle Feeder’s Association.

Welfare concerns about Canadian animals should be addressed through working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which is the authoritative regulator who most closely works with animals, producers and exporters and understands the impacts of such a ban, they said.

“Canada’s animal agricultural industry, from farmers and ranchers through to processors, are strong advocates of science and evidence-based decisions. Decision making based upon public opinion can at times be ill-informed and lack nuance, resulting in unintended consequences.”

The health and welfare of animals is important to the groups which is why they provided support to the federal government in the development of rules on safe transport for all classes of livestock. Lewis’s bill “would jeopardize the credibility of Canada’s regulatory and inspection systems both at home and internationally.”

The bill should be amended to prevent the export of horses unfit for transport. It would be within the mandate of CFIA to ensure humane transport and continued care of the horses until end of life.

“The horse meat industry is legitimate, providing high-quality protein to cultures around the world and at home, notably in Quebec. Canadian producers, including members of indigenous and Metis nations, work hard to ensure a high-quality product is available,” the groups said.

At the end of their life, horse slaughter provides both an economically sustainable and a humane way to prevent serious and potentially long-term inhumane outcomes. Without appropriate marketing channels, horses could and would experience significant negative welfare outcomes, as has been well documented in other jurisdictions enacting horse slaughter bans.

Canadian farmers are trying their utmost to meet rising global demand for high-quality proteins and to contribute to both domestic and global food security.

Horses are regularly transported by air for several purposes and all must comply with CFIA rules regardless of the end use.

This news item was prepared for National Newswatch