EDMONTON — Farming is tough, but government officials don’t make it easier when they try to assert too much control, says a Saskatchewan elk farmer and former head of the Canadian Cervid Alliance.
“There is probably no one in this room and nobody in Saskatchewan who believes they have been treated fairly by CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency), particularly in the last year and a half,” Randy Wehrkamp said during a session at the Alberta Elk Commission convention about how to deal with the “CFIA nightmare.”
“They are next to God when it comes to livestock management and disease management, and that is part of their arrogance and part of the problem we have. There is almost no way to deal with them other than a confrontational manner.”
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Wehrkamp said it gets worse if chronic wasting disease is discovered on a farm.
“If you should be so unfortunate to have chronic wasting disease, regardless if you are a source farm or a trace-out farm, you can expect certain things to happen. You will immediately be quarantined,” he said.
CFIA will sift through previous transportation permits and review previous head test reports. As well, officials can demand other herd records.
“You are treated as though you don’t have any rights. Unfortunately, the general attitude is we are guilty, rather than presumed innocent.”
He said elk producers can’t prevent CFIA officials from entering their farms, but they can be armed with a good understanding of the Health of Animal’s Act that guides CFIA officials.
“The best weapon is knowledge of the act,” said Wehrkamp, who has helped producers through the emotional discussions with CFIA.
“You cannot legally refuse them. You can stop them and ask them to come back, but you cannot refuse them. If you do, they will bring the police with them. I can give you examples of when that happened. Those situations don’t usually end up well.”
Seventy-eight herds of farmed elk or deer have tested positive for CWD in Canada since 1996 and the herds have been destroyed.
Wehrkamp advised farmers to insist on identification, take pictures and keep detailed notes of the visit, especially when discussions become heated.
“If they are saying they are going to change your status or dispose of your animals or whatever it might be, you have to get it in writing,” he said.
“You would not believe the number of times I hear from producers that ‘a CFIA inspector said….’ Do have it in writing.”
Wehrkamp recommended having a second person around as a witness to listen to the discussions with CFIA.
“I am not suggesting people are intentionally misleading you. It is an emotional response to a situation, and things start to escalate,” he said.
Wehrkamp also recommended talking to other elk breeders or association members to help with discussions, especially in establishing compensation for the animals.
Settling on compensation is often when the conflict begins, he said.
Good records for previous elk sales will help establish appropriate amounts.
Wehrkamp also suggested farmers can register a formal appeal if there is a disagreement on compensation.
He said every producer who has had CWD discovered in their herd and has been negotiating compensation should appeal.
“When you file the appeal you are sending a message that the system is flawed and the system is wrong and you are not being treated fairly and you are going to do something about it,” said Wehrkamp, who is calling for a separate appeal process to be developed outside the courts.
“It makes me so damn mad that we are treated so badly by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. It infuriates me.”
The CFIA was unavailable for comment.
