SASKATOON — On the day Agriculture Canada officials had earmarked for eliminating cattle under suspicion of mad cow disease, the majority had been scheduled for slaughter, says an Agriculture Canada official.
In order to safeguard the Canadian beef export business, Agriculture Canada had circled Jan. 31 for when all cattle imported from Britain between 1982 and 1990 would be killed, said John Kellar of Ottawa.
Of the 67 animals in Canada beyond those in the Red Deer herd where bovine spongiform encephalopathy was discovered, only 49 cattle remained alive at the end of the month. They were scheduled to be eliminated this week or to begin the process to have them sent back to Britain. But 12 animals have a reprieve until the courts decide their fate in five separate court cases.
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One case in Nova Scotia involves six cattle. The other cases involve one animal in Quebec, two in Ontario, one in Alberta and two in British Columbia.
There is a possibility eight animals will be shipped back to Britain. Some of these are the same as those involved in court cases.
An application for a court injunction blocking the slaughter in Kitchener, Ont. last week was denied. An appeal has now been lodged with the federal court of appeal.
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Another herd has been granted an extension on the slaughter because of an illness in the owner’s family.
Slaughter date to be set
Agriculture Canada officials expect the 270 animals in the original Red Deer herd to be evaluated and a date for slaughter will be set next week.
The original Jan. 31 deadline was set to appease Canada’s export trading partners. Even though the date will pass with some of the animals still alive, Kellar said other countries “recognize the democratic process.”
As long as Agriculture Canada is showing the intent of eliminating the potential disease carriers, Canada’s $1.6 billion trade will continue, he said.
