Regulation to Minimize Risk of CWD Entering Ontario

The Regulation

Ontario has passed a regulation to prohibit the possession in Ontario of high risk parts of deer and elk harvested in other jurisdictions.

The regulation is consistent with the Ontario Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance and Response Plan. This Plan has been collaboratively prepared by the Ministries of Natural Resources (MNR), Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The Plan identifies the risks to wild and captive members of the deer family (e.g. white-tailed deer, elk) associated with CWD and provides for multi-agency coordination in five key areas: prevention, surveillance, control and eradication, recovery and communications.

High risk parts are the head, spinal column, unprocessed antlers or hide, hoofs, lymph nodes, eyes, spleen, mammary glands, entrails and internal organs. These animal parts are considered high risk because they contain concentrated prions that may transmit CWD.

The regulation applies to almost all members of the deer family (referred to as "cervids") including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and any other captive deer (kept on farms or other facilities) that are harvested outside Ontario and brought back to Ontario. For the purposes of this regulation, "cervids" do not include moose or caribou.

The regulation came into effect on November 4, 2005.

It includes:

1. It is now illegal in Ontario to possess any part of the antlers, head, brain, eyes, tonsils, hide, hooves, lymph nodes, spleen, mammary glands, entrails, internal organs or spinal column of a cervid that has been harvested outside Ontario.
   
   
2. The prohibition above (#1) does not apply to finished taxidermy mounts, tanned skin, canine teeth with no tissue attached.
   
   
3. Antlers or antlers with skull cap attached may be legally possessed as long as there is no tissue or skin attached to them and they are separate from the remainder of the skull.
   
   
4. It is also legal to possess a hide or skin of the head of a cervid including that part of the hide commonly referred to as the "cape" only if:
   
   
   • all other tissue is removed;
     
   • it is kept in an air-tight container and is delivered to a tanner or taxidermist within five days of coming into Ontario.
     
     
5. If all or portion of the hide or skin of the head identified above (#4.) is disposed of, it must be done at a waste disposal site authorized under the Environmental Protection Act such as a municipal landfill.
   
   
6. None of these rules (#1 to #5) apply to cervid parts if they are transported through Ontario to another jurisdiction in an air-tight container.
   
   
7. If you are transporting cervid parts in an air-tight container, it must be labelled to show the species of cervid, the place where it was acquired and the name and address of the person who owns the parts in the container.
   
   
8. If you have transported a cervid into Ontario that was harvested in another jurisdiction, but later find out that it has tested positive for CWD, you must immediately notify a Ministry of Natural Resources Office and provide information as requested.

Important Information

• Hunters will still be allowed to bring in meat and other parts such as antlers and hides, if those antlers and hides are properly treated to reduce risk of CWD transfer (see Items #3 and #4 above).
  
  
• The regulation does not affect hunters who harvest an animal in Ontario.
  
  
• The regulation does not apply to moose and caribou.
  
  
• The regulation does not apply to the transport of live cervids.
  
  
• The regulation applies to animals from all states, provinces or other jurisdictions whether CWD has been detected in that jurisdiction or not.
  
  

Why is this Regulation Required?

CWD is not thought to be present in Ontario at this time.

However, it's possible that by bringing infected parts of carcasses into Ontario, disease-causing prions could be spread into the environment. These prions may live for years, increasing the risk that Ontario deer or elk could become infected with CWD. This regulation will minimize that risk.

Most North American jurisdictions, whether CWD is present or not, are taking steps to minimize the spread of CWD and Manitoba and more than 20 states in the United States have already taken action to address the spread of CWD through high risk carcass parts.