Thank you very much.
I'm very happy to appear before this committee as part of your study on Bill C-355.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulates horse exports under the Health of Animals Act and health of animals regulations. I would therefore like to describe the CFIA's current role in the process.
The Health of Animals Act and its regulations establish the requirements on the export of live animals. This includes the requirement that livestock, such as cattle and horses, being exported from Canada are inspected by a veterinarian and accompanied by an export health certificate that is signed by a CFIA veterinarian. The export health certificate is a legal document confirming that an animal complies with the sanitary requirements of the importing country.
The regulatory requirements for the humane transport of animals were updated in 2019. The goal of these amendments was to prevent avoidable suffering of animals throughout the transport process by setting out the conditions for humanely transporting all animals by all modes of transport.
Exporting a horse is a multistep process that requires the CFIA to certify that the horse meets all requirements for Canada and those of the importing country.
First, the exporter notifies the CFIA of their intent to export a horse. Import requirements may vary by country. Many countries require that the horse begin an isolation period before it can be exported. During this period, the CFIA tests the horse to confirm that it does not carry any diseases that are of concern to the importing country, which are listed on the export health certificate.
Once this testing is complete and the horse is found to meet all the requirements, a CFIA veterinarian provides the exporter with a signed export health certificate. The horse is loaded into a livestock trailer to travel to the airport. At the airport, CFIA veterinarians confirm that the horse is properly certified, is not showing any signs of distress and is fit to travel, and will be humanely transported based on Canadian regulatory requirements. Once a horse has landed in the importing country, the CFIA does not have any control or authority over its treatment and care.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak with you today on the CFIA's role in regulating the export of live horses.
I welcome any questions the committee may have.