Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on September 17, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com
News & Reports
News & Reports
welfare at slaughter
New slaughter legislation could compromise poultry welfare, warns BVA THE BVA has written to Defra to outline its concern about a decision not to include stunning parameters for poultry killed ‘in accordance with religious rites’ in new slaughter regulations in England. The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (WATOK) Regulations came into force in England on November 5. They enforce the requirements of a European Regulation (1099/2009) on the protection of animals at the time of killing. The BVA has broadly welcomed the new legislation, which contains provisions to improve welfare at slaughter, such as the requirement for large slaughterhouses to have an Animal Welfare Officer and the introduction of certificates of competence. However, it is concerned that the absence of stunning parameters for poultry killed in accordance with religious rites could result in some birds not being stunned effectively before slaughter. The BVA explains that, following work by the European Food Safety Authority to evaluate parameters for the stunning of poultry using electrical waterbaths, European legislation on welfare at slaughter
includes rules on stunning. It has called for the European legislation to be implemented in full through WATOK. It says that there is a high risk that, if the parameters in electrical waterbath stunning for poultry killed in accordance with religious rites are not correctly set and implemented, a percentage of birds could be immobilised rather than stunned and, therefore, could still be conscious at the time of slaughter, causing avoidable animal suffering. It is concerned that removing the requirement for parameters in electrical waterbath stunning removes the legal guarantee for effective stunning before slaughter. The Association has written to Defra to seek urgent clarification on how the new legislation will ensure that all poultry are effectively stunned before slaughter, other than those that are covered by the derogation for non-stun slaughter. Sean Wensley, the BVA President, commented: ‘In the last year we have seen headlines about the inhumane treatment of animals at slaughter and, while these new WATOK regulations are strong in many
areas, we are concerned that the omission of specific parameters for electrical waterbath stunning leaves some poultry vulnerable to ineffective stunning. ‘We have written to Defra outlining our concerns about this gap that undermines the science the regulations are built upon. It is difficult to see how effective stunning can be assured for all poultry if parameters are not set when poultry are killed in accordance with religious rites. Slaughtermen, Official Veterinarians and Animal Welfare Officers in abattoirs are not able to tell the difference between birds that have been effectively stunned and those that are just electroimmobilised, thus compromising the animal welfare standards that these regulations are being put in place to protect.’ The BVA has previously expressed its concerns to Defra when the WATOK Regulations in England were delayed and then revoked the day before they were due to come into effect in May 2014 (VR, May 31, 2014, vol 174, p 540). doi: 10.1136/vr.h6036 November 14, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 477
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on September 17, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com
New slaughter legislation could compromise poultry welfare, warns BVA Veterinary Record 2015 177: 477
doi: 10.1136/vr.h6036 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/19/477.2
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News & Reports
News & Reports
welfare at slaughter
New slaughter legislation could compromise poultry welfare, warns BVA THE BVA has written to Defra to outline its concern about a decision not to include stunning parameters for poultry killed ‘in accordance with religious rites’ in new slaughter regulations in England. The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (WATOK) Regulations came into force in England on November 5. They enforce the requirements of a European Regulation (1099/2009) on the protection of animals at the time of killing. The BVA has broadly welcomed the new legislation, which contains provisions to improve welfare at slaughter, such as the requirement for large slaughterhouses to have an Animal Welfare Officer and the introduction of certificates of competence. However, it is concerned that the absence of stunning parameters for poultry killed in accordance with religious rites could result in some birds not being stunned effectively before slaughter. The BVA explains that, following work by the European Food Safety Authority to evaluate parameters for the stunning of poultry using electrical waterbaths, European legislation on welfare at slaughter
includes rules on stunning. It has called for the European legislation to be implemented in full through WATOK. It says that there is a high risk that, if the parameters in electrical waterbath stunning for poultry killed in accordance with religious rites are not correctly set and implemented, a percentage of birds could be immobilised rather than stunned and, therefore, could still be conscious at the time of slaughter, causing avoidable animal suffering. It is concerned that removing the requirement for parameters in electrical waterbath stunning removes the legal guarantee for effective stunning before slaughter. The Association has written to Defra to seek urgent clarification on how the new legislation will ensure that all poultry are effectively stunned before slaughter, other than those that are covered by the derogation for non-stun slaughter. Sean Wensley, the BVA President, commented: ‘In the last year we have seen headlines about the inhumane treatment of animals at slaughter and, while these new WATOK regulations are strong in many
areas, we are concerned that the omission of specific parameters for electrical waterbath stunning leaves some poultry vulnerable to ineffective stunning. ‘We have written to Defra outlining our concerns about this gap that undermines the science the regulations are built upon. It is difficult to see how effective stunning can be assured for all poultry if parameters are not set when poultry are killed in accordance with religious rites. Slaughtermen, Official Veterinarians and Animal Welfare Officers in abattoirs are not able to tell the difference between birds that have been effectively stunned and those that are just electroimmobilised, thus compromising the animal welfare standards that these regulations are being put in place to protect.’ The BVA has previously expressed its concerns to Defra when the WATOK Regulations in England were delayed and then revoked the day before they were due to come into effect in May 2014 (VR, May 31, 2014, vol 174, p 540). doi: 10.1136/vr.h6036 November 14, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 477
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on September 17, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com
New slaughter legislation could compromise poultry welfare, warns BVA Veterinary Record 2015 177: 477
doi: 10.1136/vr.h6036 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/19/477.2
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
