Originally published July 21 2005
Canadian Prime Minister: U.S. case of mad cow no surprise; border should be reopened for trade
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
According to Reuters, the recent discovery of a mad cow disease-infected steer in the United States is no surprise, says Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, who also urged Washington to reopen the border to Canadian cattle shipments.
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said on Friday it was no surprise the United States had discovered a case of mad cow disease and urged Washington to reopen the border to Canadian cattle shipments.
The United States has banned imports of Canadian cattle since May 2003, when Canada found its first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, in Alberta.
Canada's cattle industry has been devastated by low prices caused by the U.S. and other trade bans because it does not have enough slaughterhouse capacity to process all the livestock it produces.
The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) has tried to open up the border to young cattle from Canada, but has been stopped by an injunction granted to U.S. activist rancher group R-CALF by a federal judge in Montana.
Canadian cattle groups said they were not surprised that the United States had found a case, since both countries used to allow imports of cattle from European countries, where mad cow disease has been common.
"We've all been aware that there's risk in both countries," said Stan Eby, an Ontario cattle farmer and president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association.
The new U.S. case could make it more difficult for R-CALF to argue that Canadian cattle should be kept out of the United States, Eby said.
But Alberta's agriculture minister cautioned that because the issue is tied up in the U.S. court system, Canadian farmers should not expect a quick elimination of the ban.
The new case could make it easier for Canada to challenge the U.S. ban under the North American Free Trade Agreement or at the World Trade Organization, said Ted Haney, president of the Canada Beef Export Federation.
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