Protecting farm biosecurity has to be a priority, Barlow says.Ottawa—Conservative ag critic John Barlow has introduced a bill in the Commons to make it an offence to enter a livestock farm without proper permission.Like all private member's bills, Barlow's still has to be accepted for debate but the subject matter will resonate with livestock producers across the country facing increased harassment by animal rights activists.The Alberta MP said the bill “will make it an offence under the Health of Animals Act to enter, without lawful authority or excuse, a place in which animals are kept if doing so could result in the exposure of the animals to a disease or toxic substance.His bill has the backing of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC), Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC), Turkey Farmers of Canada (TFC) and the Canadian Meat Council (CMC).“Protecting the biosecurity of animals and workers must be the priority when it comes to farms and food processing centres. In today's global marketplace it is critical we protect the integrity of Canada's supply chain and ensure our food remains safe to eat, prevent disease outbreaks, and ensure farmers and businesses do not lose significant income.”The current law only applies to the farm owner but not trespassers when it comes to the control of diseases and toxic substances. “Recently, more and more individuals have been trespassing on farms and food processing centres”, he said.“This has the potential to cause massive biosecurity issues for animals and the individuals who work with them.”While his bill won't interfere with an individual's right to peacefully protest on public property, it will increase the penalties for groups and organizations who encourage individuals to threaten the biosecurity of animals and workers.“Protecting Canada's food supply is critical – viruses like African Swine Fever pose a very real threat to Canadian agriculture. These biosecurity threats can decimate livestock herds and devastate our industry and economy,” he said.“Strengthening biosecurity measures for trespassers is something farmers, ranchers, food processors, farm groups and commodity organizations all support.”CFA President Mary Robinson said her organization backs the bill because it supports “Canadian farmers, who have been negatively impacted by activism. We believe that the introduction of this bill is an important and necessary step in the right direction.”CPC Chair Rick Bergman said, “Intrusions on a pork farm cause a breach in the biosecurity protocols in place to protect the health of the animals and puts their care in jeopardy. Supportive measures such as this bill to deter trespassing, acts of breaking and entering, acts of vandalism and intimidation are very well received by pork producers.”CFC Chair Benoît Fontaine said the bill “will protect our food supply from exposure to disease by trespassers on private properties. We have been vocal in our call for action against trespassers and activists while continuing to affirm our commitment to high standards of animal care and illegal trespassing endangers animals, foods safety, foods supply and our own workers.”EFC Chair Roger Pelissero said farmers follow comprehensive and rigorous food safety standards, which include strict biosecurity measures. Barlow's bill “offers an avenue to further strengthen our overall food system by enhancing the measures in place to protect the health of farm animals across our country.”TFC Chair Darren Ference said the bill “has positive implications for protecting the health and welfare of animals on farm, and is supportive of Canadian farmers who work hard to care for the animals in their barns.”CMC said the bill “will protect our food supply from exposure to disease by trespassers. We have been vocal in our call for action against trespassers and activists while continuing to affirm our commitment to high standards of animal care and illegal trespassing endangers animals, foods safety, foods supply and our own workers.”Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.