The Rats Run For Cover

BC Farm Industry Review Board (BCFIRB) doesn't want to get involved in the messy subject of weaponized chicken manure, such as was done in 3 British Columbia ("BC") cities (Abbotsford, Surrey, and Port Coquitlam).

I previously posted about biohazardous chicken manure used as a weapon against the homeless in British Columbia (see Abuse of BC Homeless Persons via Chicken Manure ).

I emailed 9 questions to the various organizations running and supervising the BC chicken Supply Management ("SM") system in BC.

So far, I have heard back from BC Farm Industry Review Board (BCFIRB), who disavow any knowledge or responsibility or authority for weaponized chicken manure that appears to have originated from one or more BC chicken farm operating under the Supply Management System:

Dear Mr. Black:

I reply on behalf of the BC Farm Industry Review Board (BCFIRB), which also is the provincial agency responsible for the supervision of the BC Chicken Marketing Board.

Let it be clear – although on-farm manure management and disposal is an important part of a poultry operation for a number of reasons, manure itself is not a regulated product under the Natural Products Marketing (BC) Act and the BC Chicken Marketing Scheme, 1961. Consequently, neither the Chicken Board or BCFIRB can assume responsibility for actions of individuals outside the scope of their authority. Regardless of how the boards might regard such actions or conduct.

I suggest it would be more appropriate to raise any concerns you may have directly with the authorities involved in the incidents.

Yours truly,

Jim Collins

Executive Director

BC Farm Industry Review Board

Figure 1: The Chain of Command for
BC's Supply Management System
for Chicken, showing BCFIRB's jaded and
self-serving opinion on who has
responsibility & authority (or lack
thereof) for the weaponized chicken
manure used against the homeless
in 3 BC cities.

My Analysis

 To be sure we're all on the same page, Figure 1 to the right is a diagram of the Chain of Command in BC's Chicken Supply Management system as I understand it.  BC's Ministry of Agriculture is the Big Boss, and every SM chicken farmer is the pawn who must obey all those above him.

OK so far?

Per the email response from BCFIRB shown above, BCFIRB gives themselves and the BC Chicken Marketing Board an absolute discharge from any responsibility, and heaps all the blame on some unknown SM chicken farmer.

No doubt these two SM angels will also stonewall, obscure, hide, and foot drag any attempt to identify or censure the SM chicken farmer(s) that supplied the biohazardous chicken manure for this disgraceful attack on the homeless.  If they happen to know or suspect who did it, they will likely refuse to disclose this information, as it will be classified as "Top Secret" under the SM confidentiality system.

I wonder if the BC Ministry of Agriculture, and the Honourable Norm Letnick support the position of BCFIRB that BCFIRB gives themselves and the BC Chicken Marketing Board angel wings of purity that protect them from the weaponized chicken manure.

Perhaps all of us should ask Minister Letnick if he supports BCFIRB's position, and perhaps he claims a pair of angel wings for himself and his Ministry too.  We'll only know if we ask.

Time for You to take Action

Here is the suggested email, and the link:  Pre-formated Email to BC Ag Minister Letnick

Feel free to customize this to fit your exact thoughts & feelings:

Dear Minister Letnick:  In a 2015/10/22 email to SFPFC, BCFIRB states that they themselves and the BC Chicken Marketing Board have neither responsibility nor authority (ie. prevention, prohibition, auditing, investigating, censuring, etc.) for preventing the weaponization of chicken manure that allegedly originated on BC Supply Management chicken farm(s), and was subsequently used against the homeless in 3 cities of BC.

Do you and your Ministry support this position of BCFIRB?  If you agree with BCFIRB, who does have responsibility and authority ? 

My Suggested Answer

I had hoped (and still do) that BCFIRB had responded better.  I responded in part, as follows:

I therefore conclude that there is a need in the most general sense to require that all those under BCFIRB's supervision must:

1. Define and document the stated & implied needs and expectation of all upstream and downstream stakeholders in the SM supply chain, up to and including the ultimate retail customer.
2. Do what's legal, moral, effective, and right; consistently meeting those needs & expectations agreed upon between the various parties within the SM supply chain.
3. Understand, define, document, communicate, and serve the social license granted to SM;
4. Understand, define, document, communicate, and serve the greater good of the general public.
5. Design all policies, principles, procedures, rules, priorities, actions, budgeting, resource allocation, key performance measurements, inspections, audits, and reporting systems so that they can accurately determine the effectiveness and consistency of meeting these 4 primary mandates
6. Report on all 7 of these primary mandates to all stakeholders on a regular, comprehensive, timely, open, transparent, and accountable manner.
7. Every person has a personal duty to:  a) identify any risks, conflicts of interest, bad faith, or non-compliance to these 7 principles; and   b) report any known or reasonably suspected matters; and   c) If they are so authorized and capable, take immediate corrective action to resolve the risk or non-compliance; otherwise bring the matter to the attention of that person's immediate supervisor as well as those that are directly responsible for the matter.

I would suggest that these 7 principles can be enacted as mandatory requirements for BCFIRB and all those under your supervision.  It immediately prohibits, (and hopefully soon thereafter terminates) any sharp dealing, plausible deniability, bad faith, conflict of interest, turning a blind eye, going with the flow, and other dysfunctional behaviours.
To test this proposal out, pick some jobs at random points in the SM supply chain (eg. janitor, CEO, MPP, DVM, clerk, truck driver, retail meat counter clerk, etc.).  Assume that they just learned about the plan to spray homeless people in BC with fresh chicken manure from a BC farm operating under SM.  Assuming that this person has been properly trained and made responsible under these 7 principles, what should we expect to occur next?  Now try it again with some other crazy scheme that would equally rupture SM's social contract when the public eventually learns the gory details.
Does BCFIRB sense that the entire Supply Management ("SM") system, including BCFIRB, operates under a social license from the people (ie. all Canadians)?  If SM were to mutate into a greater & greater parasite upon society, how long will SM's social license continue?  Provincial and Federal governments under the Canadian constitution have their powers limited by, and a duty imposed upon them to do what is in the best interest (ie. greater good) of the citizens.  I respectfully suggest that since virtually all of SM's powers and responsibilities (including those of BCFIRB) are derived from these governments, then those duties and restrictions necessarily travel with the powers delegated to BCFIRB, and all other branches of SM.

Well readers, what do you think?  Is it better for Canada and Canadians that the entire SM system is blind & deaf, and SM farmers can do as they please, including the selling of biohazardous chicken manure for use as a weapon against homeless persons?

Do you see some value (or problems) in what I propose?  Either way, please comment below, and send your emails in to Minister Letnick (see link above).