Canadian Wildlife Directors Committee

Record of Decision
Members of CWDC re: National Animal Health Strategy

June 18 ,2007 (12:30 – 1:30pm Ottawa-time)

Participants:

Ron Bjorge, Alberta
Mike Sullivan, New Brunswick
Helen Schwantje (British Columbia)
Susan Fleck, Northwest Territories
Randy Milton (Nova Scotia)
Hugh Hunt (Saskatchewan)
John Dungavell (Ontario)
Loiuse Champeaux (Québec)
Carla Baker (Nunavut)
Phillip Merchant (Yukon)
Ken Canoe (Newfoundland)

Debbie Harris (CWDC Secretariat)
Arnold Boer (CWDC Coordinator)

Ken Harris (Environment Canada)
Emily Jenkins (Environment Canada)
Beth MacNeil (National Animal Health Strategy)
Manjit Kerr-Upal (National Animal Health Strategy)

Handouts:

1. Agenda
2. Presentation – “National Animal Health Strategy – Its potential contribution to wildlife issues in Canada”
3. Presentation - “National Animal Health Strategy” May 2, 2007 to CWDC in Whitehorse, Yukon

Record of Discussion:

Agenda (in bold)

1. Introductory Remarks

- Why should CWDC be involved in the NAHS? (see attached slide)

• CWDC members agreed to be engaged in the development of the NAHS

- Availability of CWDC to attend a joint CCVOs , CCMOHs and CWDC meeting in the fall (October 30-31 TBC).

• NAHS will confirm the October 30-31 joint meeting in Ottawa once CCMOHs and CCVOs have confirmed their availability.
• CWDC will consider coordinating their October 23-25 meeting in Ottawa with this meeting.
• CWDC members may consider sending alternates to alleviate timing issues, if meetings cannot be coordinated.

2. Follow up to the NAHS Presentation to CWDC in Whitehorse - Comments on definitions and proposed key elements (presentation attached)

Definition of Wildlife: "…all wild organisms and their habitats – including wild plants, invertebrates, and micro-organisms, as well as fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and the birds and mammals traditionally regarded as wildlife."

• Too broad to be practical?
• What about fish?
  • The scope of the National Aquatic Animal Health Program is limited to reportable diseases, does not include marine mammals.
• What about exotics and feral animals? (wild boars, wild horses?)
• "Wild" is the critical word, and essentially refers to the behaviour of the animal.
  • Definition of “wild” in other documents (ie Species at Risk Act, NB Fish and Wildlife Act, ):
    • Wild by nature
    • Native to Canada
    • Established for a given period of time
    • Not bred or reared in captivity
• What about plants?
  • generally excluded from NAHS because addressed under the National Plant Health Strategy (under development)
  • link to wildlife health: habitat and invasive species
• How does habitat fit into the definition of wildlife?
  • "agent of disease"
  • ecosystem health
  • environmental component of epidemiological triad

Action:
Proposed definition of wildlife to be drafted and distributed in advance of July 31 conference call for comment and approval during the call

Definition of Animal Health:

“The state of a living organism, species, population in which it can sustain biological functions to preserve its own integrity”

• How is integrity defined? How does this address subtle effects of disease?
• Definition as it stands is more suited to individuals. Wildlife is better suited at the population, species, community or ecosystem level.
  • Individual wild organisms are important (for example, Species At Risk) through their contribution to the population.
• Original CCWHC/Marc Cattet definition “Wildlife health: the capacity of a wild population to adapt to, respond to, or control environmental challenges and changes” is preferable.
• Environment need to be incorporated into the definition?
  • Why did the CVO’s change focus away from populations and environment?
• NAHS may need multiple definitions of animal health as the context for wildlife is very different from other animal sectors.

Action:
Proposed definition incorporating the concept of “population” and “environment” to be drafted by NAHS Team in advance of July 31 conference call.

Definition of Animal Welfare:

"Animal welfare is the state in which an animal is, when in harmony with its environment and when its physical, health, and behavioural needs are fulfilled – in accordance with expert opinion and scientific knowledge."

• CVMA (Canadian Veterinary Medical Association) has an Animal Welfare Committee which has a working definition of animal welfare
  • See Appendix A.
• The 5 freedoms as defined by OIE do not work for wildlife.
  • [Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition]
  • [Freedom from discomfort]
  • [Freedom from pain, injury or disease]
  • [Freedom to express normal behaviour]
  • [Freedom from fear and distress]
• Animal welfare applies at the individual level. How do you apply animal welfare issues at the population level?
• Welfare issues become important for wildlife when humanity interferes or interacts with wildlife (anthropogenic impacts)
  • capture and handling
  • humane methods of depopulation
  • supplemental feeding (disease transmission, starvation if withdrawn)
  • habitat change
• Welfare could become a “trap” for wildlife.
  • All the more reason not to ignore it.
  • Is NAHS the place to address welfare issues in wildlife? Or leave to CVMA, provinces, CCAC ?
• Need to differentiate animal cruelty issues (dealt with by legislation and the courts) from animal welfare issues

Slide 8 of NAHS Deck:

• What is the relationship of this slide to the 6 objectives of the NWDS ? The NWDS objectives should be integrated into the key elements of the NAHS .
• What is meant by “science-based” – don’t exclude Traditional Ecological Knowledge
• Arrows imply a movement from left hand (“bad”) to right hand (“good”)
  • principles on the left remain important as we move to outcome on right
  • need to revise so that both sides are included in outcome

3. Roundtable - General comments on CWDC as it relates to the NAHS

• NWDS (National Wildlife Disease Strategy) and National Chronic Wasting Disease Strategy (NCWDS) can’t get lost in the shuffle – in particular the NCWDS needs to be implemented and financed
• Input from wildlife health specialists (and wildlife specialists in general) needs to be more than token.
• Helen Schwantje to email the CCAC ’s “The Care and Use of Wildlife” to NAHS . This statement was very well received nationally and may be a good resource for the Strategy and its future action plans.

Wrap-up comments from Beth:

• The various strategies (NCWDS, NWDS , National Aquatic Animal Health Strategy, etc) cannot just be stapled together to compose a NAHS . Need an overall cohesive framework and definitions that can apply to all animal categories.
• The CWDC needs to become a vocal advocate of NCWDS (and NWDS ) through face-to-face meetings with domestic animal and public health counterparts, if federal funding is to be obtained.

- Suggestions regarding NGO wildlife-related organizations.

• Not discussed in depth.
• All suggestions are welcome.

Action:
CWDC NAHS working group members to identify non-government wildlife-related organizations they view as key groups for the NAHS Team to engage in developing the Strategy.

4. Next teleconference?

Tuesday July 31st, 12:30pm – 1:30pm (Ottawa time)

Appendix A:

Proposed definition of animal welfare
for CVMA Council, from the Animal Welfare Committee
October 30, 2006 (per A Crook)

Proposed definition
“The term animal welfare describes the quality of life that an animal is experiencing. In assessing animal welfare, consideration should be given to the many elements that contribute to the animal's quality of life, including, but not limited to, those referred to in the 'five freedoms' (freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition; freedom from fear and distress; freedom from physical and thermal discomfort; freedom from pain, injury and disease; and freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour).

Where humans directly influence the quality of life of animals, they have a responsibility to provide the necessary conditions to allow animals to exist in a state of positive welfare.”

Recommendation: that the above definition be adopted by the CVMA.

Background
At the spring 2006 meeting in Ottawa, the issue of a definition of animal welfare was raised. The Animal Welfare Committee was asked to consider e-mail correspondence from Bonnie Beaver (to R Ashburner, February 2006) concerning a definition. The Committee also believes that it is important to have a definition to help determine how to respond to relevant issues, and to provide guidelines in developing position statements. A sub-group of the AW Committee worked on this over the summer, and brought forward a definition for consideration by the whole AW Committee at the fall meeting in Vancouver, where the definition was honed further. Over the course of the process, we were fortunate to have the input of 3 animal welfare scientists (Dr. Joe Stookey, WCVM; Dr. Suzanne Millman, University of Guelph; and Dr. Favid Fraser, University of British Columbia Animal Welfare Program).

During our discussion, we considered the various definitions of animal welfare in B Beaver’s initial e-mail, in particular the OIE definition, and also the definition in the CVMA Directory. It was concluded that, as per current thought in this area, welfare must take into account the animal’s perception of its welfare, and that welfare can not be defined as a “human responsibility." There was also agreement that the “5 freedoms” should be included, as a broadly accepted basis on which to evaluate animal welfare.

Current CVMA definition:
"Animal welfare is a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, including proper housing, management, nutrition, disease prevention, responsible care, humane handling, and , where necessary, humane euthanasia." (Canadian Veterinary Medical Association 2005 Directory).

OIE definition:
"Welfare is a broad term which includes the many elements that contribute to an animal's quality of life, including those referred to in the 'five freedoms' (freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition; freedom from fear and distress; freedom from physical and thermal discomfort; freedom from pain, injury and disease; and freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour)." (OIE Animal Welfare Guidelines 2005).