These comments are direct quotations from the Hansard
documents.
Avian Flu
Mr.
Chuck Strahl (Fraser Valley, CPC): Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the
Fraser Valley the Canadian Food Inspection Agency rolled its equipment on
to a local duck farm and killed 40,000 birds.
It killed them even though the flocks appeared healthy as all tests to
date indicated they did not have the type of virus that is harmful to
other poultry or to humans. It killed them in spite of the fact that if it
had waited for 24 hours it would have had conclusive blood tests either
way.
After three months of avian flu concerns in the valley, why does the CFIA
not have a scientific, rules based protocol in place to deal with the
specialty bird growers in the Fraser Valley?
Hon. Bob Speller (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.): Mr.
Speaker, in fact, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency does exactly that.
First, how we have worked in this situation is how we have worked in
agriculture. We bring in the producers, the processors, and the provincial
government. We work very closely with them to ensure that the actions we
take are first and foremost in conformity with the best science that we
know.
Second, we want to respect the farmers and their farming practices.
Mr. Chuck Strahl (Fraser Valley, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I wish that
were true. The minister will remember the last time the agency dealt with
specialty birds. It killed thousands of pigeons and squab in the valley.
Then a week later it came back and told the farmers that it was a mistake,
that it should not have killed them, and that it was not a problem in the
Fraser Valley at all.
The other problem is on the compensation front. The minister sent out
cheques to many of the farmers in the valley. That is appreciated even
though it does not cover all the costs. The problem now is that farmers
have letters saying that the agency wants that money clawed back.
Will the minister assure us that the money will not be clawed back and
that farmers will receive full compensation for the full costs of the
value of their flocks in the Fraser Valley?
Hon. Bob Speller (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.): Mr.
Speaker, as I said, the Government of Canada is working very closely with
the municipalities, the province, the producers and the processors to
ensure that the approach we take is an approach that respects the right to
farm and, in fact, respects the best science that we know.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working very hard. The CFIA has
Canadians from all across Canada working for it who have come to the
member's part of the country to help eradicate this disease. Our goal is
to first and foremost eradicate this disease.
|
