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B.C.'s new Animal Health Act advances Agrifoods Strategy

Helping to prevent the spread of animal disease in the province

VICTORIA - Proposed changes to the Animal Health Act will ensure B.C.'s

reputation as a producer of safe and healthy foods and animals.

The changes would help prevent the spread of animal disease as well as

improving the response to a potential outbreak. These changes are

essential to meet the B.C. Agrifoods Strategy commitment to expand domestic

and international markets.

The proposed changes follow consultation with B.C.'s livestock, poultry

and honey producers, federal and provincial government agencies and more

than 300 submissions to the ministry's web-based citizen consultation.

Today's emphasis on food safety and security require modernization of the

act, which has not been substantially changed since 1948.

B.C. Agrifoods Strategy included the development of a new animal health

framework as one of 49 actions projected to lead the B.C. agrifoods sector

to becoming a $14-billion-a-year industry by 2017.

The legislative process for Bill 37, The Animal Health Amendment Act, can

be followed at:  http://www.leg.bc.ca/39th4th/votes/bills-list_hansard.htm