By Bruce Cochrane.
The National Farm Animal Care Council says a proposed update of Canada's Transport Code will align it with anticipated changes to the Humane Transport Section of the Health of Animals Act.
The National Farm Animal Care Council is proposing a project through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's AgriMarketing Program Assurance Systems stream for phase one of an update to Canada's Transportation Code.
National Farm Animal Care Council General Manager Jackie Wepruk says an update of the Transportation Code will be needed to align it with anticipated changes to the Humane Transport Section of the Health of Animals Act.
Jackie Wepruk-National Farm Animal Care Council:
The Transport Code is a critical companion piece to regulations as the codes provide guidance that can optimize the application of transport and related regulations both federally and provincially.
The Transport Code, and in fact all codes, can play an important role as extension tools for supporting consistent adherence to regulatory expectations across jurisdictions as well as advancing best practices.
The Transport Code would also form the basis for consistent industry extension efforts and training.
For example the Canadian Livestock Transportation Certification Program would certainly be using the Transport Code as well as other assurance efforts that are happening across the country.
Updates to the Humane Transport Section of the Health of Animals Act are forthcoming and they've been in development for many many years now.
We are anticipating those updates will go to Gazette 1 in the fall.
So, given the planned amendments, it's important that the code amendment process be initiated to compliment those federal regulatory amendments.
Wepruk says, if approved, phase one will include a jurisdictional review of the roles and interactions between the different authorities in the transport process, an environmental scan of initiatives that would need to align with the Transport Code and a consultation to establish a structure for engaging stakeholders across species, industries and interest groups in preparation for an actual Transport Code update.
Source: Farmscape