The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) and the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) are seeking comment on a draft of a new code of practice for farming salmonids in the country.
The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farmed Salmonids has been the result of two years of work via a multi-stakeholder approach across relevant stakeholders in various agriculture sectors. The code is intended to serve as guideline for sound management and welfare practices for the farming of salmonids, including requirements for “rearing units, feeding, transportation, and other animal husbandry practices.”
“The Code Development Committee has worked hard for nearly two years developing the draft Code. The public comment period is a key step that will allow us to check our work with a broader representative group,” said Code Development Committee Chair Barry Milligan, a veterinarian who has held senior roles in both salmonid production and fish health. “Welfare is an integral component of fish health and one that is increasingly being looked at both from the industry and from the public perspective.”
Development of the code was led by a 14-person code development committee that included members from animal welfare and enforcement representatives, researchers, veterinarians, and government representatives. It’s being developed as one of four codes of practice as a part of a multi-year project by the NFACC. The code’s development started with the CAIA, which started the process in November 2018.
“We’re very proud to be developing the first code of practice for farmed salmonids in Canada,” Development Committee member Arin Taylor, an owner of a second-generation family business that operates five rainbow trout hatcheries in Ontario, said. “This code will be a valuable resource for large and small farms alike. As a living document, it will allow us all to improve our practices while continuing to innovate for the future betterment of animal care.”
Photo courtesy of Alexander Gold/Shutterstock
