Agency apologizes for deer mixup
Chronic wasting disease 'miscommunication'
By DAVID SANDS
and AJAY BHARDWAJ, EDMONTON SUN
Denials from Canada's food inspection agency that a second
deer in Alberta had tested positive for chronic wasting disease were a
"miscommunication," officials said yesterday.
"There was no intentional or deliberate action on the part of the CFIA
to withhold information," said Mark Van Dusen, director of media relations
for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The CFIA denied twice to two different Edmonton Sun reporters
this week that a second deer in the province had tested positive for chronic
wasting disease. The National Post, which also got denials from CFIA, confirmed
the second case with deer owner Ray Heinen.
Van Dusen and Jeff Meerman, communications officer for the CFIA's western
region, both said that The Sun's inquiries - and those of the National
Post - were misinterpreted.
"Jeff took it (The Sun's query) to mean whether there was a new case
on a new farm," Van Dusen said.
CFIA reportedly doesn't consider a second infected animal a "new case"
unless it's from a different herd.
After the first denial by the CFIA, reliable sources continued to insist
to The Sun that there was a second case, and a reporter with more experience
dealing with the CFIA was assigned Tuesday.
The exact question asked was: "Has a second deer tested positive for
chronic wasting disease in Alberta?"
The answer was still no, this time apparently because the specific and
pointed nature of the question was missed.
"We apologize for that," Meerman said.
There have now been three cases of chronic wasting disease in the province,
all found in game-ranch animals, two in deer, one in elk.
Canadians can continue to rely on CFIA for accurate information, Van
Dusen said yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Alliance for Public Wildlife called for the gamefarm
industry to be shut down.
Darrel Rowledge said it is economically unfeasible - because there are
too many farmers in it now - and the sale and movement of animals spreads
disease. "We need to shut the industry down, we need to help the people
who were lured into it and we need to move on," he said.
Deer rancher Len Jubinville disagreed. The owner of 500 to 600 deer
said game ranching is an "innovative" industry in which ranchers test 100%
of their herds for disease. He plans to stay in game ranching for as long
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