Animal identification is a fundamental component of livestock traceability. The ability to identify animals and their origins during an animal health or food safety emergency is paramount to the success of the response operation and the protection of human and animal health.
The Canadian Sheep Identification Program (CSIP) is an industry-led trace-back system designed to help trace sources of animal health and food safety problems. It was introduced in 2004, and is applicable to all ovine animals in Canada.
In practical terms, all ovine animals must be identified with an approved ear tag before leaving the farm of origin - or the farm where the animal was born.
All ovine animals that are imported must also be identified. An animal may be tagged before importation or upon arrival to its destination. Cattle imported for immediate slaughter do not need to be identified.
All tags are visually embedded with a unique identification number that is allocated by the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA), which collects and stores sheep identification information for most provinces in its national database. The exception is the province of Quebec, where the sheep identification program is managed by Agri-Traçabilité Québec (ATQ). All identification numbers are distributed to sheep producers through authorized tag dealers.
The unique identification number of each sheep is maintained to throughout its life, until the animal is slaughtered at an abattoir or exported.
Additional regulatory requirements include the following:
Additional requirements for Quebec producers include the following:
The information stored in the CCIA and ATQ databases is made available to industry and governments during an animal health or food safety emergency, helping them to trace-back the origins of implicated animals and animal products.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) administers and enforces national identification and movement reporting requirements for sheep under the authority of the Health of Animals Regulations. Violations of any of the requirements may result in warning letters, fines or, in some cases, prosecution.
For more information about the CSIP, contact the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 or visit www.inspection.gc.ca. You can also contact the following organizations:
Canadian Sheep Federation
Telephone: 519-824-6018
Internet: www.cansheep.ca
Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
Telephone: 1-877-909-2333, 403-275-2083
Internet: www.canadaid.com
Agri-Traçabilité Québec
Telephone: 1-866-270-4319; 450-677-1757
Internet: www.agri-tracabilite.qc.ca