CSIP Legislation/Enforcement
The CSIP is governed by the federal Health of Animals Act and the Health of Animals Regulations.
The Health of Animals Regulations have been amended to allow for the national identification of sheep. The amendment was published in Part II of the Canada Gazette on December 31, 2003 and came into force on January 1, 2004.
The approved regulatory amendment is available on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Enforcement Information
How Will The Program Be Enforced?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for the enforcement of the Canadian Sheep Identification Program, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Health of Animals Act and Regulations. The compliance and enforcement strategy will comprise a combination of education, information and enforcement actions. The objective of the strategy is full compliance. Where non-compliance exists, the CFIA has the authority to issue administrative monetary penalties. The monetary penalty for the majority of ID violations is $500 per violation, or $250 if paid within 15 days.
Prosecution is also an enforcement option. The CFIA reserves the right – for example, in cases involving significant risk to the health and safety of sheep or the public, or in cases of flagrant non-compliance – to proceed with a prosecution under the Health of Animals Act.
Enforcement Strategy
CFIA inspectors routinely inspect production and marketing sites for disease control, humane transport and trade certification purposes. These inspections provide a parallel opportunity for monitoring ID compliance.
Enforcement and Producers
Producers are required to apply an approved national ID ear tag to all lambs born on their premises before they leave the farm, and to ensure that all ovine animals bear an approved tag before they leave the premises. Producers are also required to keep a record of all sheep or lambs entering their flock for breeding purposes, and of all sheep 18 months or older leaving their farm unless being transported directly to a federally or provincially registered abattoir for immediate slaughter.
Enforcement and Truckers
There are no exemptions for the transportation of unidentified ovine animals. It is illegal to transport an unidentified ovine animal.
Enforcement and Auctions
There is no exemption for the reception of an unidentified ovine animal unless the animal lost its approved tag during transit. Auction operators must maintain records and make them available, if requested, to a CFIA inspector. Inspectors will visit auction markets to meet with producers and truckers, and to assess the program’s degree of compliance.
Enforcement and Abattoirs
Abattoir operators cannot receive unidentified ovine animals unless the approved ID tag was lost during transit. Operators must also maintain the identification of the carcass until the completion of the meat inspection process. The CFIA provides continual meat inspection services at all federally registered abattoirs, and on a contractual basis at federal-domestic abattoirs in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The regular presence of CFIA inspectors will permit enforcement of the ID program at those sites. The same requirements will apply at provincially inspected abattoirs. The CFIA may periodically visit provincially inspected and uninspected abattoirs to monitor compliance.
The Role of the Marketplace
Experience tells us that public attitude has a significant influence on compliance with program requirements. The CFIA and the Canadian Sheep Federation expect that an industry attitude will develop during the maturation of the program, which encourages producers to tag all ovine animals leaving their herds of origin. The CFIA also expects that transporters, order buyers and feedlot operators will help to ensure that the animals they handle are properly identified. Strong support from abattoir management, accompanied by enforcement of the regulatory requirements by CFIA inspectors, will send a strong message of program compliance back through market channels to the producer level.
Enforcement is Everyone’s Responsibility
The Canadian Sheep Identification Program represents a considerable advance that will markedly improve the CFIA’s capacity in continuing its mandate of food safety, consumer protection and animal health.
The program’s integrity, however, depends directly on industry’s compliance with its regulatory requirements. This will be best served by early demonstration of that compliance.
For Further Information
Contact the nearest office of the CFIA, listed under Government of Canada in the blue pages of your telephone directory or visit www.inspection.gc.ca.
Record-Keeping Requirements
The legislation requires producers to record the movement of breeding animals. Producers, however, are encouraged to keep records for all animals moving on and off the farm. Records must be kept for all breeding stock entering the farm and; all sheep and lambs 18 months or older leaving the farm to a destination other than a provincially or federally inspected abattoir. These records will be used by CFIA to trace the origin of any disease or animal health concern that occurs.
A Record of Movement Form has been designed to help producers meet these requirements. (Click here to download the Record of Movement Form)
Notice to Sheep Producers
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