Comment on Welfare of Farmed Animals at Slaughter Consultation

Originally from: mona parr
                        
Stunning for welfare rejected
The Government has responded to the Farm Animal Welfare Council report on the Welfare of Farmed Animals at Slaughter or Killing ? Part 1: Red Meat Animals, which was published in June 2003. In its draft response, the Government supports most of the 94 recommendations relating to the welfare of animals at the time of slaughter or killing as set out in the FAWC report but does not propose to ban all slaughter without stunning, or calls for meat to be clearly labelled with the method of slaughter. At present, meat from animals slaughtered by the religious slaughter method is finding its way on to the ordinary meat market and is not required to be labelled as having come from an animal that was slaughtered without prior stunning.

Animal Welfare Minister Ben Bradshaw said that the FAWC recommendation that the Government should ban religious slaughter without stunning on welfare grounds had understandably been deeply contentious for the Jewish and Muslim communities across the UK, to whom this is a matter of fundamental concern. Mr Bradshaw said: ?We will not ban the production of halal or kosher meat. A ban could in any case simply result in kosher and halal meat being imported. We would, therefore, be exporting the problem, resulting in no overall improvement in animal welfare.

?The Government sees some merit in the FAWC recommendation that cattle slaughtered by having their throats cut should receive an immediate post-cut stun because of the time it takes cattle to lose consciousness but we do not intend to pursue a mandatory system for this and intend to explore whether progress can be made on a voluntary basis. We would welcome the view of the communities concerned.?

When the FAWC report was published last June, the President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Henry Grunwald QC, said in a statement: ?The Jewish community is completely opposed to FAWC?s recommendation in favour of stunning. Such a practice would render an animal unacceptable in Jewish law and is completely contrary to Jewish religious requirement??

The RSPCA has expressed dismay that the Government will not ban the practice of slaughtering animals without stunning them first ? despite compelling evidence that these animals suffer unnecessarily. RSPCA Head of Farm Animals Department Dr Julia Wrathall, said: ?While welcoming the Government?s support for many of the other FAWCrecommendations we are extremely disappointed that they have failed to act on evidence ? based on scientific research and practical experience ? that slaughter without pre-stunning imposes unnecessary suffering. The FAWC report showed, for example, that when calves? throats are cut without pre-stunning they can remain conscious for up to two minutes as they bleed to death. During this time they may be experiencing severe pain and distress.? In New Zealand, any animal slaughtered by the kosher method is stunned shortly after the cut has been made challenging the UK Government?s claim that banning slaughter without pre-stunning would ?export the problem?. Whilst respecting religious beliefs, the Humane Slaughter Association?s position on the pre-slaughter stunning of farmed animals has always been unequivocal: all animals, without exception, should be effectively stunned prior to being stuck and bled. Carried out properly, pre-slaughter stunning precludes the possibility of suffering and has no adverse effect on carcase quality. Stunning before slaughter is also a welfare issue in other European countries. French actress turned animal rights campaigner, Brigitte Bardot, believes ritual slaughter needs updating. Speaking recently to Dalil Boubakeur, head of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, Ms Bardot said she did not want to interfere in religious practices, but Muslims should use ?electronarcosis? before slaughter. ?In Abraham?s times, electronarcosis did not exist,? she said. ?You have to adapt to scientific progress. What concerns me is the animals? suffering.?