'Shoot, shovel and shut up' favoured by farmers: But by doing so, beef producers send bad message to trading partners (May 20, 2004) The Edmonton Journal; By Jason Markusoff:
EDMONTON - "Shoot, shovel and shut up" appear, according to this story, to have become prophetic words on Alberta ranches, as fewer cattle heads are being sent to labs to be tested for mad cow disease.

Dr. Gerald Ollis, the province's chief veterinarian, was cited as saying he has met many farmers who don't want to be blamed for the next case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, so they kill and dispose of their dead animals on their own.
The story notes that in the first five months of this year, the Edmonton provincial laboratory has received 33 per cent fewer heads than over the same period last year.
Federal and provincial officials want to focus their surveillance on the highest-risk animals, those that are older and are showing signs of neurological disorders.

Such cattle will often die on the farm, and it's up to the rancher to either send their heads for testing or ship the animal to the rendering plant, which also diverts heads to the laboratory.

Ollis was further cited as saying that by not testing these animals, Canada would send a bad message to trading partners, who want stronger testing programs before they lift their beef bans and he predicted that testing will inevitably detect more BSE cases in the Canadian herd, about one per million cattle, adding, "It's a little hard to believe there was only ever one in Canada."

Mayerthorpe rancher Harvey Hagman was cited as saying some farmers have stopped having animals rendered, because plants have implemented a per-pound charge for the service. Previously, renderers handled cattle for free.

The provincial and federal governments are planning a public campaign to urge farmers to send to labs the animals they suspect might have BSE, Ollis said. In January, Ottawa announced plans to test 8,000 cattle this year, and 30,000 annually within five years.