It is clearly intended to end horses being sent to Japan for slaughter and bows to a vigorous lobby by the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition which has been applying for years for Access-to-Information documents from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency about horses destined for transport to Japan.
It says six horses died in 2012 and three in 2011, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency testified that only five of 47,000 horses air-lifted to Japan have died in the last 10 years.
Dr. Trevor Lawson, president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, testified that the organization does not support the bill which was introduced by Tim Louis, Libertal MP for Kitchener-Conmestoga.
The animals have a good quality of life on their farms of origin, Lawson said.
“Regarding the current proposed bill, Bill C-355, the CVMA is cognizant of and is concerned that the potential for disruptions to the current supply of Canadian horses for this market could lead to unintended negative consequences. These includes the significantly decreased value of the horses in the supply chain and the concomitant potential decrease in incentivized high welfare standards,” he said.
“As well, animal welfare would be at risk due to the current lack of slaughter capacity to process these horses and the resultant uncertain final disposition of these animals.”
Conservative agriculture critic John Barlow sought to regulate, rather than ban, air transport of horses.He also sought an investigation into harassment of potential witnesses.
He said “we had a number of witnesses who eventually decided not to appear at committee because of the intimidation and the reaction they were getting from phone calls…. A couple of witnesses had to call the RCMP on multiple occasions as a result of protests or intimidation at their farms or at their businesses,” he said.
The bill will now go to the House of Commons for third reading and, if approved, to the Senate.
There has also been a well-organized lobby against horse slaughter in the United States. One tactic was to deny funding for inspectors at horse-slaughter plants, which effectively ended almost all horse slaughter there.
Many shipped their horses to slaughter plants in Alberta and Quebec which, in turn developed export markets in countries where horse meat is a common commodity.
The U.S. ban led to complaints by native bands in New Mexico which said their pastures were being ruined by over-population.
This is an example of what happens when determined people who have no skin in the game can destroy long-accepted and well-regulated normal agriculture practices and industries.
