IT ALL BEGAN IN 2012 –
Updated March 2022.
Take Action ~ Won December 16, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a mandate letter to the Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food. This letter informed her to ban the live export of horses to slaughter.
It is the beginning of March, 2022, and live shipments are still taking place. Please contact the Minister of Agriculture and politely ask her to honour the mandate.
https://www.canada.ca/en/government/ministers/marie-claude-bibeau.html
Email: Marie-Claude.Bibeau@parl.gc.ca
Posted: August 2021.
A SINISTER SCHEME ~ AIR SHIPPING LIVE DRAFT HORSES TO SLAUGHTER
IT ALL BEGAN IN 2012 –
The ‘get rich’ scheme by equine slaughter proponents and Agriculture Canada’s eye on future revenues ..
~Horse meat and live horses for slaughter and human consumption from Canada to Japan~
How does Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd. fit into this?
The corporation is a member of the Canadian Meat Council –
The Canadian Meat Council is a member of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) coalition and it was CAFTA that worked on the ‘deal’ with Japan – The Canadian Meat Council, a member of the *Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) coalition worked on a **deal with the Canadian Government and Japan to eliminate tariffs on the export of horses. The live horse trade represents $20 million in sales for Canadian shippers.
https://cmc-cvc.com/industry/facts-figures/
THE SCHEME BEGINS ~
*****Canada-Japan Economic Partnership (EPA)******
(Via Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) –
“In 2012 Canada and Japan announced the launch of negotiations towards a comprehensive and high-level economic partnership agreement (EPA). The agreement known as the Canada-Japan Economic Partnership seeks to reduce and in some cases eliminated the non-tariff and tariff barriers that limits trade between the two nations.
CAFTA seeks expanded market access in Japan through the removal of import tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers.
CAFTA supports Canada’s participation in the EPA and believes it will significantly contributes to the growth and competitiveness of the agricultural sector.”
http://cafta.org/trade-agreements/canada-japan-epa/
The following is a 1,134 page report – Page 2 is actually a spread sheet. This is the link – https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/assets/pdfs/tpp-ptp/2-D.Japan-Tariff-Elimination-Schedule.PDF… (Global Affairs Canada)
NOTE; THE IDEA WAS TO REMOVE ALL TARIFFS (TAXES) BECAUSE JAPAN ‘REALLY’ WANTED OUR HORSES ~
“TARIFF SCHEDULE OF JAPAN (HS2012)
(Year 1 – 21 and subsequent years)
LIVE ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS – (NO TARIFFS with exception of 010121.290)
01.01 Live horses, asses, mules and hinnies
Horses
0101.21 Pure-bred breeding animals
010121.100 Certified as being those other than Thoroughbred,Thoroughbred-grade, Arab, Anglo-Arab or Arab-grade horses (hereinafter referred to as “light-breed horses”) in accordance with the provisions of a cabinet order
2 Other
010121.210(1) “Light-breed horses” certified as being those used for purposes other than horse-race and as being not pregnant in accordance with the provisions of a cabinet order
010121.290(2) Other 3,400,000 yen/each
0101.29 Other
010129.1001 Certified as being not “light-breed horses” in accordance with the provisions of a cabinet order
2 Other
010129.210(1) “Light-breed horses” certified as being those used for purposes other than horse-race and as being not pregnant in accordance with the provisions of a cabinet order “
So one could assume – All those involved with sending live horses to Japan for slaughter and human consumption needed to make their new scheme as profitable as possible.
Basically, that meant do it on the ‘cheap’. Transport the horses in inappropriate livestock trucks from filthy, UN-kept feedlots, to the airport. Ship the horses over to Japan in flimsy, wooden crates and cram as many into each container ‘to the max’. Keep the crates small in order to fit more into the belly of a transport plane. Deny the animals basic nutrition and water, pushing the limit to what the horses could tolerate. Let the horses travel to Japan without the watchful eye of a trained equine specialist. After all that would mean an added expense.
HORSE WELFARE WAS OF LITTLE CONCERN, PROFIT WAS THE NAME OF THE GAME!
While all the negotiations were happening in Canada, Japanese businessmen got busy marketing the notion that horse meat was safe, nutritious and the horses were lovingly cared for. Pictures of horses grazing in lush green pastures were presented to the public.
Via CHDC ~ “According to its website, the Japan Horsemeat Association was formed in July 2012 to ”widely convey the high quality and safety of horse meat as food and to improve the status of horse meat in Japan’s diet ”. http://banikukyoukai.net/daihyo/
“In 2012, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) issued the first press release on the subject – “Footage taken of Alberta horses being shipped live to Japan for slaughter shows that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is violating their own standards set forth in the Health of Animals Regulations. The Regulations prohibit the transportation of all animals under conditions that would expose the animals to undue injury or suffering.” –
Written by Maggie Hinton
Photo ~ Courtesy of the Canadian Horse Defence Coaltion
Bouvry feedlot, Alberta, Canada
TAKE ACTION ~
Contact your MP and politely ask what his/her position is on the live shipment of horses to Japan for slaughter. It wouldn’t hurt to mention that this is a voting issue for you ~
Contact information ~ https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en
How to address a Member of Parliament ~ https://www.canada.ca/…/protocol…/styles-address.html
How to Communicate Effectively with Members of Parliament ~https://cpa.ca/documents/advocacy_p5.htm
Note; You can also follow this link and a letter to your MP is already formatted for you ~
