Identification and traceability – Guide for exporters, importers and livestock transporters

Download a printable version of livestock traceability requirements for exporters – PDF (110 kb)

New The identification of premises where animals are kept or collected, the identification of goats and cervids and the domestic movement reporting of all ruminants (cattle, bison, sheep, goats and cervids) are the key changes in the proposed regulatory amendments.

Identify your premises

• Obtain a premises identification number
• Register and identify your premises with your provincial or territorial government
• Premises identification information must be kept up to date with your provincial or territorial premises program authority
• Refer to premises identification for instructions
• Report the premises identification number
• When you purchase approved indicators and/or report information related to livestock identification or movements, you must report the premises identification number of your site
• If your site does not have a premises identification number, you must report to the responsible administrator the following information:
• The legal description of the site
• Your name and telephone number
• A list of the animal species present at the site
• The type of agriculture operation
• You must report any changes to the premises identification information to the responsible administrator within 7 days of the change

Ensure the animals are identified

As the operator of a site from which an animal is exported, you must ensure that the animals you are exporting are identified with an approved indicator^Footnote 1.

• Approved animal indicators
• Revoked animal indicators

For detailed information on approved indicators to be applied and the associated reporting requirement, refer to Operators of livestock sites and Livestock producers and owners guidance documents.

Export of animals

Report the export of the animals within 7 days of export.

The person who owns or has possession, care or control of animals before their export must report the following information to the responsible administrator:

• The premises identification numbers of all the sites where the animals were loaded, and the number of animals loaded at each site
• The dates the animals were loaded, and the number of animals loaded on each of those dates
• The identification number on the approved indicators^Footnote 1
• The location(s)^Footnote 2 to which the animals are being exported, and if known, the number of animals exported to each location
• The license plate number or conveyance identification used to export the animals

Note that the foreign importing country may have additional animal identification requirements.

Download a printable version of livestock traceability requirements for importers – PDF (113 kb)

New The identification of premises where animals are kept or collected, the identification of goats and cervids and the domestic movement reporting of all ruminants (cattle, bison, sheep, goats and cervids) are the key changes in the proposed regulatory amendments.

Identify your premises

• Obtain a premises identification number
• Register and identify your premises with your provincial or territorial government
• Premises identification information must be kept up to date with your provincial or territorial premises program authority
• Refer to premises identification for instructions
• Report the premises identification number
• When you purchase approved indicators and/or report information related to livestock identification or movements, you must report the premises identification number of your site
• If the site does not have a premises identification number, you must report to the responsible administrator the following information:
• The legal description of the site
• Your name and telephone number
• A list of the animal species present at the site
• The type of agriculture operation
• You must report any changes to the premises identification information to the responsible administrator within 7 days of the change

Ensure the animals are identified

Animals must be identified with an approved indicator^Footnote 1 at the first site at which they are unloaded after import.

• Approved animal indicators
• Revoked animal indicators

For detailed information on approved indicators to be applied and the associated reporting requirement, refer to Operators of livestock sites and Livestock producers and owners guidance documents.

Animals do not need to be re-identified if they bear foreign indicators deemed equivalent to Canadian approved indicators:

• Foreign animal indicators deemed equivalent to Canadian approved indicators

Ruminants imported for immediate slaughter do not need to be identified with an approved indicator or a foreign animal indicator deemed equivalent.

Import of animals

Report the import of the animals or carcasses within 7 days of import.

The person who owns or has the possession, care or control of an imported animal must report the following information to the responsible administrator:

• The location(s)^Footnote 3 from which the animals or carcasses were imported
• The premises identification number of your site
• The date the animals or carcasses arrived at your site
• The identification number on the approved indicators^Footnote 1 or equivalent foreign indicators
• The license plate number or conveyance identification used to import the animals or carcasses

Download a printable version of livestock traceability requirements for livestock transporters – PDF (122 kb)

New The identification of premises where animals are kept or collected, the identification of goats and cervids and the domestic movement reporting of all ruminants (cattle, bison, sheep, goats and cervids) are the key changes in the proposed regulatory amendments.

Transport of animals

Collect and provide information to accompany the animals within 24 hours of arrival.

As the operator of a conveyance, you must provide the following information to the operator of the destination site:

• The premises identification number of the departure site
• The premises identification number of the destination site
• The number of ruminants or ruminant carcasses being moved
• The number of pigs or pig carcasses being moved, or the weight of the carcasses
• The date and time the animals or carcasses left the departure site
• The license plate number or conveyance identification

You are not required to provide this information:

• for animals or carcasses transported for import or export
• for ruminants or carcasses transported within the same farm
• for pigs or carcasses transported between contiguous parts of the same farm

As the operator of a conveyance, you must keep a record of the information that accompanied the animals or carcasses you transported for a minimum of 2 years.

Loss of approved indicators during transport

You can continue to transport an animal or carcass that has lost its approved indicator or approved secondary indicator while being transported until it arrives at the next site.

Prohibitions

It is prohibited to remove animals or ruminant carcasses from a site without an approved indicator^Footnote 1, with some exceptions:

• Pigs moved between contiguous parts of the same farm
• Non-bred pigs moved between non-contiguous parts of the same farm or between farms
• Cattle or bison moved to an approved identification site
• Ruminants imported for immediate slaughter
• Animals or carcasses that have been seized by an authority or have been abandoned
• Animals that must be urgently evacuated from a site
• When the morphology of the animal or carcass does not allow for the application of an approved indicator