take action: manitoba's hog industry
In November, LWF asked Environment Minister Mike Moyes to direct the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) to review the environmental sustainability of Manitoba’s hog industry. (You can read a copy of our letter here). So far, we haven’t received a response.
We need your help! We’re asking our members to contact Minister Moyes to urge him to engage the CEC in a fulsome review of Manitoba’s hog industry.
Use your voice to amplify our collective advocacy for Lake Winnipeg!
Here are some tips for effective letter-writing:
- Use your own words. Message from constituents that express genuine concern carry more weight than form letters.
- You don’t need to be an expert – you just need to know that hog manure contains phosphorus. Let the minister know that you care about Lake Winnipeg and are concerned about algae-causing phosphorus. We’re asking that the experts at the CEC examine the impact that phosphorus from hog manure is having on Lake Winnipeg.
- Copy your own MLA on your email to Minister Moyes. This lets your elected representative know about the issues that you’re considering when you cast your vote. Find your MLA’s contact information here.
- Copy info@lakewinnipegfoundation.org on your email to Minister Moyes. This helps us track the impact of our collective advocacy.
- Don’t worry about length – a short message is better than no message at all!
- Request a follow-up.
- Share your letter with family & friends. Politicians are more likely to pay attention to issues that concern many people. The more letters they receive, the more likely we’ll get a positive response!
Background on the Clean Environment Commission
In 2007, the CEC produced a report titled “Environmental Sustainability and Hog Production in Manitoba,” at the request of Manitoba’s then-minister of conservation. The report included 26 recommendations related to the impact of the hog industry on water quality, including a call for a review, which would determine the effectiveness of provincial regulations in managing phosphorus from hog manure.
The Commission warned that “the regional imbalances that have developed between the application and removal of nutrients and the potential impact of these nutrients on water resources constitute the most serious environmental sustainability issues facing the industry.”
In March 2008, the provincial government accepted the recommendations of the commission and halted hog-industry expansion in southeastern Manitoba, the Red River Valley, and the Interlake. These three regions were recognized as intensively-developed, high risk, and ecologically sensitive, respectively. The government also strengthened environmental protections in the Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation.
However, in 2017, the provincial government amended manure management regulations once again, this time removing regional restrictions on the expansion of the hog industry. These changes were made in spite of the regulatory review requested by the CEC in 2007. To date, no such review has been undertaken.