Agriculture Committee on May 3rd, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Okay. That's fine.

There is a second thing, and it's more related to the CFIA. I represent Nova Scotia, and the Annapolis Valley specifically. This is one of the first areas in which avian influenza was detected in a poultry flock.

I'm curious about testing. Obviously, when there could be some suspected AI cases, there are irregularities that farmers are normally the first to notice. Where does one actually test samples to make sure it is AI or that we are able to identify it? I'm curious as to what that regional outlook looks like.

My understanding is that there has been some work with UPEI to upgrade their facility such that the actual distance and the time in order to get the CFIA involved in these types of investigations and support efforts hinge on it being a positive case, which really dictates a different process.

What does it look like across the country? I know Winnipeg has a lab that is quite proficient. Give this committee a sense of the regionality of where those samples are tested.

[Dr. Mary Jane Ireland]

When avian influenza is suspected, a sample is taken and sent to a lab, which can be a provincial lab, as an initial step.

To confirm the disease formally, the sample will be tested at the NCFAD, the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg. That is the lab that will confirm and that is what we use for international reporting.

Across Canada there are provincial laboratories that can do initial testing. That will depend on a number of factors, but certainly the CFIA takes action and places quarantines very early. I would say we have advanced since the early days of this in terms of making sure we have labs and in helping labs come up to standard. We really need the labs to make sure that when they say something is negative, it's really negative, and if they suspect it's not negative, that they say that with accuracy because of the nature of the disease.

There are provincial labs across the country that help the CFIA do the testing, but the formal response comes from our WOAH-recognized lab, NCFAD, which does the confirmatory testing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

We probably don't have time, and I don't want to push my colleagues, but I would be interested in this, Dr. Ireland, in terms of the different protocol for how the CFIA responds.

I can appreciate that a provincial lab may identify an irregularity or perhaps a certain sample. Does that dictate different procedural elements from the CFIA versus the waiting game until you actually get that officially confirmed, or does the CFIA treat a provincial result the same as a result in Winnipeg?

[Dr. Mary Jane Ireland]

We take early action based on early findings of the provincial labs. We can get you more information on how that rolls out.

With regard to the avian influenza outbreak, given the findings in multiple provinces and the experience that our labs have with sampling, we don't wait, particularly if it's been found already in an area. Rapid response is critical to prevent spread.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Absolutely, and I think this committee certainly wants to commend your work in supporting our agriculture sector.

Colleagues, that ends our panel today with our officials. I'd like to thank Mr. Hoag for coming from the CBSA. Dr. Ireland, Philippe Morel and Mr. Rosser, thank you so much for your work, respectively, in our agencies that help support our agriculture sector every day.

Colleagues, with that we're going to take about a five-minute break, so please don't go far. We're going to switch over to in camera to study our report.

Let me also recognize Ms. Khalid, who's joining the agriculture committee, and Ms. Sidhu and Mr. Viersen, who is now gone, as Mr. Steinley is back.

We'll see you in a few seconds, colleagues, and we'll get working on that report. Cheers.

[Proceedings continue in camera]