US embassy cable - 03OTTAWA1432

UNCLAS OTTAWA 001432 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE PASS USTR FOR SCHANDLER AND SBOMER 
USDA FOR APHIS AND FAS/DLP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, TBIO, CA, Beef, Agriculture 
SUBJECT: CANADA REPORTS FIRST NORTH AMERICA BSE CASE 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE HANDLE 
ACCORDINGLY. 
 
1. (U) Canadian Agriculture Minister Lyle Van Clief notified 
Ambassador on May 20 that the Minister would announce that 
afternoon Canada's (and North America's) first case of bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an animal not imported 
from Europe.  Agriculture Canada's draft press release -- 
faxed to WHA/CAN and USTR -- notes that the Canadian Food 
Inspection Agency (CFIA) has quarantined the farm in northern 
Alberta where Canada's ongoing BSE surveillance program had 
identified a suspect animal at slaughter and declared its 
meat unfit to enter the food chain.  The animal was rendered 
and CFIA is now investigating the uses to which its tallow 
and gelatin might have been put (Note: Canada prohibits use 
of bone meal or other byproducts in feed for other ruminant 
animals.  End Note). Specimens from the suspect animal were 
sent to the World Reference Library in the UK, which informed 
the GOC on May 20 that it had verified the presence of BSE. 
CFIA is now tracking down the animal's origin, determining 
how its remains were processed and ensuring that it 
identifies all calves originating from the 150-head herd 
Once the entire herd has been tested, it and any other herds 
determined to be at risk will be destroyed. 
 
2. (SBU) The GOC has acted quickly to deal with the threat 
BSE poses to the Alberta beef industry and to maintain 
confidence in the CFIA's BSE surveillance program.  The 
Minister's message to the Ambassador, efforts by Department 
of Foreign Affairs and International Trade officials to touch 
base with USG counterparts and ongoing contacts between CFIA 
and APHIS underscore the Canadians' understanding that this 
is a North American problem. Canadian officials with whom 
Emboffs have discussed the issue have actively solicited USG 
advice on how best to manage any health or trade fallout from 
this discovery and indicated their willingness to work with 
us to ensure that there are no further cases.  Beef cattle 
and meat products account for 13 percent of Canada's 
agricultural exports and 22 percent of ag exports to the U.S. 
(US$ 2.25 billion annually), so the stakes are very high. 
 
3. (SBU) Comment: The GOC has been greatly concerned by USG 
plans to implement a Congressionally mandated 
country-of-origin labelling program for beef cattle. 
However, had such a program been in place when this infected 
animal was found, its origin would have been immediately 
evident, saving considerable investigative time and effort. 
CELLUCCI