OTTAWA — Activists trespassing on-farm face whopping new fines for breaching Canadian livestock biosecurity rules, under a private member’s bill passed by MPs at the end of November. Bill C-275 is now headed to the Senate for further deliberations.
It would impose fines of $50,000 or more on individuals, a huge jump from the paltry $250 levied on trespassers now. Groups organizing an illegal occupation would face up to $500,000 in fines.
The hefty penalties apply without criminal conviction.
Farms, slaughter facilities and livestock transportation are all subject to the bill, which outlaws entering a place where animals are kept if doing so could expose those animals to disease or contamination. The bill amends the federal Health of Animals Act to make its biosecurity regulations apply to trespassers.
C-275 sponsor MP John Barlow (CON — Foothills) has explained that the bill protects farmers’ mental health and Canadian food security — without prohibiting peaceful protests.
Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and PEI have provincial laws specifically targeting farm trespassing as an offence in its own right. Ontario’s Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act — sometimes derided as an “ag-gag” law — is currently being challenged in court by the Animal Justice organization. Adding another layer of protection at the federal level could prove to be a prescient backup plan.
Source : Farmersforum