Progress! Canadian Poultry Industry Adopts New Policy After MFA Investigation

This week British Columbia’s Chicken Marketing Board released new standards for chicken catching that aim to increase accountability and transparency.

The BC chicken board credited a shocking Mercy For Animals undercover investigation for its action. The investigation into Elite Farm Services revealed “chicken catchers (workers tasked with rounding up chickens for transport to slaughter) brutally dismembering, violently throwing, and otherwise abusing countless birds. Fortunately, outraged Canadian consumers prompted industry reform.


According to the new standards, catching crews and catching contractors must be licensed by the board and complete load-out reports prior to, during, and after catching. The licensed crews will be responsible for training in, enforcement of, and documentation of animal handling protocols. While we applaud the board for recognizing the need for stricter regulations, these changes do not go nearly far enough. If the board truly aims to reduce animal suffering and increase accountability and transparency, it must, at a minimum, require installation of live-streaming video cameras in all chicken barns and annual third-party audits to ensure the changes are implemented.

This new policy shows that when we shine a bright light on the dark world of factory farming—and when activists like you speak out—we can make change.

Join the thousands of people taking one-minute daily actions to help millions of animals by becoming a Hen Hero today. And of course, leave animals off your plate altogether so that one day we won’t even need these regulations.