Saskatchewan CWD Regulations

Saskatchewan Agriculture has primary responsibility for farmed cervids: contact Dr. Stephanie Smith, CVO Veterinary Unit, Livestock Branch. Saskatchewan Environment has primary authority for captive cervids held in zoos, and other Non- game farm facilities. Also final authority for all cervid imports: contact Dr. Iga Stasiak; Fish, Wildlife and Lands Branch.

Farmed Cervids: The Domestic Game Farm Animal Regulations, at:
http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/English/Regulations/Regulations/A20-2R10.pdf
Requires licence to operate a game farm for the following species: elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, WTD-mule deer hybrid, moose, fallow deer, reindeer/caribou, antelope, big horn sheep, American thinhorn sheep, mouflon sheep, musk deer, and mountain goat. The regulations require minimum fence height, handling facilities, unique identification of animals (before 12 months of age; except fallow deer at ~14 months), accurate herd records / inventory, reporting of escapes and intrusions, reporting of movements by manifest or CFIA permit, mandatory CWD surveillance program, permits for import, slaughter processing requirements, and prohibit game farming for Sika deer; Red deer; and elk-Red deer hybrids.
Other Captive Cervids: The Wildlife Regulations, 1981 and The Captive Wildlife Regulations, at respectively:
http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/English/Regulations/Regulations/W13-1R1.pdf; and
http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/English/Regulations/Regulations/W13-1R13.pdf

Wildlife regulations allow wildlife to be held in captivity, with a licence, for the purpose of an operating zoo or commercial wildlife farm. Wildlife regulations also hold legislative authority for the issue of import permits for domestic game farm animals.

The Domestic Game Farm Animal Regulations require enrollment of licencees in the mandatory provincial CWD surveillance program. All cervid deaths (≥ 12 months of age) must be reported and submitted for CWD testing, including slaughter animals. Physical inventories are completed as required, annually under the current CWD surveillance program. Imported cervids must originate from a herd with a documented history, at least, equivalent to a herd status of Level B, or above, on the National CWD Voluntary Herd Certification Program.

Saskatchewan has developed import guidelines (written by Ministries of Agriculture and Environment) for evaluating the risk of importing domestic game farm animals from other jurisdictions. Import requests are evaluated by both Ministries, with Environment having legislative authority to sign the import permit.


The Domestic Game Farm Animal Regulations, 2019 came into force November 15, 2019. Changes include a fee for a game farm licence and the ability for the Minister to cancel or impose conditions on a game farm licence.

Changes to the Federal response to CWD in farmed cervids April 1, 2018 require development of new provincial policies for reponse to CWD-positive farmed cervids. Positive farms, when there is no federal response, are under provincial controls under The Animal Health Act, with no movements without provincial authorization. Depopulation is not ordered. Movement only to terminal premises or inspected slaughter.

Saskatchewant's first detection of a CWD-positive farmed cervid was in 1996. CWD became a federally reportable disease in 2001. SK began a mandatory CWD surveillance program Dec 31-01; mandatory for all licencees, and associated farmed cervids, regulated under The Domestic Game Farm Animal Regulations.

Must report all deaths within 24 hours and submit samples for CWD testing from ALL cervids deaths (≥ 12 months of age), within 15 days. Laboratory testing fees, for CWD, are paid by the province. On-farm physical inventory and compliance assessment annually. To date (April, 2020) 94 game farms within SK have tested positive for CWD. There are approximately 162 game farms licenced; 135 with animals (~ 7041 cervids); of those farms 15 are enrolled on the National CWD Voluntary Herd Certification Program (per CSF list October 2019). Since January 2001 until December 31, 2019 a total of 60,182 farmed cervids have been tested for CWD.

Saskatchewan operated a voluntary CWD hunter surveillance program from 1997 to 2012. During this time, 45,434 wild cervids were tested (including targeted surveillance), with 387 CWD-positive animals found. In 2014 and 2015, hunter surveillance was Not offered; but, targeted samples of sick or dead animals were collected by conservation officers and collar-marked research animals were also tested. Of these, 34/118 animals tested CWD-positive.

Voluntary testing of hunter submissions was restarted in 2015, and remains ongoing. Per-species CWD-positives vs total testing, included: mule deer (1373/31,281), white-tailed deer (386/19,517), elk (22/2,060), and moose (9/612). In all, 53 470 animals have been tested since 1997 (31, 281 mule deer, 19, 517 white-tailed deer, 2060 elk, and 612 moose.

In 2020, 466 of 2703 animals tested, were CWD-positive as follows: mule deer (335/1049), white-tailed deer (121/1326), elk (5/187), and moose (5/141). The disease has not yet been detected in caribou. CWD is now found in 56/83 wildlife management zones in the province and is considered endemic across the farmland south of the boreal forest.

Data and mapping can be found at saskatchewan.ca/cwd.

In 2018, 299 of 2,070 animals tested, were CWD-positive as follows: mule deer (237/835), white-tailed deer (60/993), elk (0/134), and moose (2/108). The disease has not yet been detected in caribou. There were 45/83 wildlife management zones (WMZ) showing at least a single occurrence of infection. In 2019 hunter harvest testing of 3299 animals resulted in 528 CWD positive cases. They were as follows: mule deer (414/835), white-tailed deer (107/1327), elk (6/162), moose (1/183). CWD is now found in 55/83 managment zones in the province. Eradication of CWD from wild cervid populations in SK is no longer considered to be a realistic option.

Data and mapping can be found at http://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/cwd.php

No ban.

No ban.

No ban.

Yes

Yes