Agriculture committee  Thank you. I'll start with a fact. We're told that the industry applies these measures on a voluntary basis. That's true for the industry, but these measures are imposed on producers. When the industry sets a standard, it becomes a mandatory model for producers to follow. I think it's important to put this voluntary nature of the measures into perspective.

Agriculture committee  Absolutely. A number of other allies help us in our everyday work, particularly in terms of biosecurity. I'm thinking of veterinarians and suppliers of various services, who also visit farms. So we interact with those suppliers who come and can observe practices every day. Then there is our whole certification system, which imposes rules on all producers who market the product—they are audited regularly.

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for inviting me to speak to Bill C‑275 this morning. My name is René Roy. I am chair of the Canadian Pork Council and a hog producer in Quebec. This morning, Ray Binnendyk is joining us as a producer and a member of the B.C. Pork Producers Association.

Agriculture committee  I will take 30 seconds instead of two minutes just to introduce Ray. He is a producer who has been affected by these kinds of intrusions on farms. I would like to mention that those who are taking care of the animals on farms are farmers, in fact. We are the ones taking care of the animals every day.

Agriculture committee  Yes. First, I would like to highlight the fact that if the disease enters into the wild pig population, it becomes really hard to eradicate it. We become a pool of the disease. This is why we have to make sure that we eradicate the invasive species before the disease enters in any way.

Agriculture committee  There is really good work done, for example, in Ontario, where they have almost eradicated the wild pig population. Now, we have pockets—especially in the west—where it's really important that everybody is working. What we would need is not only to have the status—it's recognized that wild pigs are an invasive species—but to have them treated as an invasive species.

Agriculture committee  We have a special list. I would propose that Mr. Bertinotti provide some examples of technologies that we have available, or maybe Mr. Fréchette wants to say a couple of words, because he's a specialist in this.

Agriculture committee  The provinces are also involved in the effort for eradication, so it's done at both levels. We have made requests to find solutions. However, there is also a lot of collaboration that has to happen because of this interprovincial...and also between the two jurisdictions. Yes, there is work that is done mainly at the provincial level, but collaboration has happened at the country level.

Agriculture committee  There is a threat, because the wild pig population can become a pool of the disease if the disease enters into the wild pig population. If we don't take care of it, the wild pig population will grow.

Agriculture committee  Yes, we've heard that there is some inbreeding. We are not experts on wild pigs and we don't have the details of the locations of all these sounders. We know we have to eradicate an invasive species before it gets worse and gets out of control.

Agriculture committee  Our industry has no interest in having outbreaks. Let's say authorized personnel who enter and create some disease outbreaks are people doing their best to make sure these animals are healthy. Regulations on something that everybody wishes for would not help the situation. If you give a fine to somebody who is doing their best to keep everybody safe, it wouldn't help the situation.

Agriculture committee  Yes, long-term programming would enable the industry to structure itself more effectively and to deal with the various crises. Funding for initiatives is currently granted on a five-year cycle. However, that means that, every five years, we don't know whether it'll be renewed. For monitoring, for example, it shouldn't be limited to five years.

Agriculture committee  Yes, getting funding outside the political cycle would afford the industry greater predictability. When we go and see our members to raise funds, we're seeking funding for the long term, not just for a few months. We're seeking a broader form of cooperation, such as a coalition.

Agriculture committee  When there's an effective system of penalties at the border, you don't need to monitor all goods there. That makes it possible to stop a lot more goods from entering. It's a tool that's available to us, but we also need to promote that penalty system. When tourists or other individuals who enter the country are aware of the system, that relieves the pressure of the disease on our country.

Agriculture committee  Yes, that's correct.