Tag Archives: animal welfare

Input sought on animal welfare proposals

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Meat exporters, processors and producers have an opportunity to give their input, alongside other interested parties, to the Government’s proposed changes to New Zealand’s animal welfare system.

Primary Industries Minister David Carter says the proposals set a strategic direction for animal welfare and improve the way the current Animal Welfare Act 1999 operates.

“Animal welfare matters. It matters because how we treat animals says something important about us as a society. It also matters for New Zealand’s reputation because our trading partners and international consumers rightly expect us to maintain high standards of animal welfare.”

The proposed national strategy, the first of its kind, will canvass the views of stakeholders with animal welfare interests, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and set a vision for New Zealand’s animal welfare system into the future, the Minister says.

“The proposed changes to the Animal Welfare Act will clarify the way it operates and make it easier to enforce.”

Radical change is not proposed, as the suggested values, outcomes and approaches are already implicit in the system, neither is it seeking to lift standards, the Ministry for Primary Industries’ discussion paper says. A key proposal is that codes of welfare, which currently set the standards for animal welfare, are replaced with a combination of regulations and guidelines. Regulations will be directly enforceable in law. Guidelines will provide information and advice but will have no legal effect.

Delivering the strategy will require action from the meat industry in terms of implementing industry schemes to improve welfare; recognising and building stockmanship skills, educating members about best practice and meeting standards, measuring animal welfare performance and engaging with the public and consumers. It also encourages continuing collaboration in setting standards, co-investing in research, contingency planning and the existing joint Government/industry initiative to improve animal welfare compliance.Many of these actions are already in place.

The closing date for submissions is 28 September 2012. Read more about how to make a submission and to read the discussion paper.

Animal welfare initiatives

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A number of animal welfare initiatives, including newly updated guidelines for animal transport within New Zealand, a review of the Animal Welfare Act 1999, development of a new national strategy, plus distribution of a revised toolkit for farmers are underway.

A newly updated Transport within New Zealand Code of Animal Welfare was issued by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) in 2011, alongside a review of the code for Meat Chickens and a new Goats code, according to the Committee’s newly released 2011 annual report.

The Transport Code covers all animals transported by land, sea or air within New Zealand. It provides clarity about who is responsible for the welfare of animals at all stages of transportation and gives direction about how this must be achieved.

Committee chairman John Hellstrom, says the Code has been rapidly adopted by industry since its launch in September. “It is gratifying to see this code, like the earlier dairy, sheep and beef and pig codes being widely adopted within industry guideline.”

Other activities for the year covered in the annual report included developing advice for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Minister on aspects of the proposed revision of the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Among the issues considered were the future roles of the committee, the effectiveness of Codes of Welfare and alternatives, the welfare of wildlife and methods for increasing the transparency of NAWAC’s process and activities.

NAWAC is an independent advisory committee to the Minister for Primary Industries. It was established under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to provide advice to Ministers on matters relating to the welfare of animals in New Zealand and to develop codes of welfare.

A copy of the new Code can be downloaded from MPI’s website, where a hard copy can also be ordered.

New national strategy

Alongside the review of the Act, MPI is also currently working on the development of a national strategy for animal welfare, which will set the future direction of animal welfare in New Zealand and outline the Government’s key priorities over the next few years, according to MPI’s newsletter Welfare Pulse. Input has been obtained from key stakeholders like vets, animal industries, animal advocacy groups and users of animals in research and teaching.

The final strategy and legislative proposals will be presented to the Minister for Primary Industries in late 2012 or early 2013. It is intended that an amendment Bill be introduced to the House during the first half of next year.

Revision of Animal Welfare Toolkit

This activity adds to the newly re-launched Animal Welfare Toolkit for farmers. This was released at the Federated Farmers conference recently and is now being distributed to farmers nationally. Beef + Lamb NZ Ltd, Deer Industry New Zealand, Federated Farmers and the New Zealand Veterinary Association were among the organisations working on the revision with MPI. A copy can be downloaded here (search ‘Animal Welfare Toolkit’).

David Bayvel moves to WSPA

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A familiar face in New Zealand animal welfare is taking on a new international role.

As of 1 July, Dr David Bayvel QSO – who recently retired as director of animal welfare for MAF – will join the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) as Chief Veterinary Adviser. His newly created part-time role will be replacing the role held by Dr David Wilkins from 2004-2012.

In his new role, Bayvel will help to ensure that WSPA is working at the heart of the veterinary profession around the world to support and advance animal welfare. This will include working with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on the drafting of standards to ensure the implementaton of international standards and laws to protect the welfare of animals, says WSPA. He will also advise on WSPA’s programmes supporting the education of veterinarians through specially designed animal welfare training modules.

A renowned expert in the fields of animal welfare and veterinary science, Bayvel’s career has taken him around the world in the past four decades, including posts in private and public sector organisations and veterinary practice promoting ethical care and treatment of animals. He recently retired from the position of director of animal welfare for New Zealand MAF. He chaired the OIE ad hoc export group meeting on animal welfare and chaired the permanent OIE Animal Welfare working group from 2002-2012. He will now move to represent the International Coalition for Animal Welfare on this important OIE group.

Bayvel says he’s honoured to join WSPA. “I have long admired WSPA’s measured approach to animal welfare and its commitment to improving the conditions for animals around the world. WSPA has a proven track record on the world stage of forging collaborations with other key international NGOs and governments to have a lasting positive impact for animals and their communities.”

Dr Wilkins is to continue his involvement with WSPA, working on several special projects.

First international standards adopted for animal welfare in livestock production

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The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has adopted new generic guiding principles on animal welfare relating to livestock production systems and a new chapter on the welfare of cattle bred for meat production.

Agreement was reached at the OIE’s 80th General Session, held in Paris and was said to be siginficant by the OIE’s director general Bernard Vallet after delegates’ failure in 2011 to reach agreement on animal welfare of broiler chickens. “This is an historical event that opens the way to adoption of animal welfare standards of other farm animal production,” he said.

The new adopted texts provide for criteria and indicators to measure the welfare of beef cattle, nutritious quality of feed, supplementary lighting for cattle that do not have access to natural light, bedding and many other aspects of cattle breeding conditions.

Other key decisions reached by delegates include new texts on the responsible and prudent use of antibiotics in animals for consumption purposes.

 

Praise for industry’s animal welfare approach

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Primary Industries Minister David Carter has praised the Primary Industry Chief Executive’s Animal Welfare Forum for its contribution to animal welfare.

Carter attended the biannual meeting of the Forum recently and endorsed the group’s 2012 plan.

“New Zealand’s major livestock production industries are taking a responsible approach to animal welfare standards through encouraging voluntary compliance and proactive initiatives,” he said.

One of the Forum’s key 2012 projects involves working with farmers, meat processors, transport operators, private veterinarians and MAF to ensure that all transported animals are fit for transport. The group is also focusing on the on-farm welfare and transportation of bobby calves for slaughter.

David Carter, Minister for Primary Industries