Activists celebrate ‘landmark’ animal welfare reforms that ban hen cages and pig farrowing crates
Activists are celebrating “landmark” animal welfare reforms that could prevent millions of animals raised for their meat, eggs or fur from being gassed to death or suffering in cramped cages.
The government has set out its plan to overhaul legislation covering the treatment of farm animals, pets and wildlife in its animal welfare strategy, the provisions of which have been described as the “most ambitious welfare reforms in a generation”.
More than 9 million pigs could be saved from a painful death each year thanks to a proposal to ban the use of carbon dioxide chambers, campaigners say.
Farmers will have to phase out farrowing crates for pigs and colony cages for laying hens; both of these provide cramped conditions that prevent animals from moving naturally. The strategy also proposes the introduction of “humane slaughter requirements to protect farmed fish from avoidable suffering.”
Proposals to promote the use of slow-growing meat-chicken breeds are designed to benefit the 1.1 billion so-called “frankenchicken” chickens each year, genetically engineered chicks that balloon so fast that their limbs and organs fail.
Sean Gifford, chief executive of the Humane League UK, said: “Cruelly locking animals in cages is a disgrace to British farming and we are thrilled to see this government follow countries such as Germany and Austria that have banned them.
“The vast majority of the public think it is unnecessary and morally wrong to raise animals in small cages. Seven million chickens are rotting indoors and the government needs to act quickly to make cages history.”
Mr Gifford said there would be no real legal consequences for staff or the farm if animals were killed in a painful and clumsy way, such as gills being cut off before stunning fish. “A change in the law should help solve this problem,” he said.
He added that the Humane League wanted assurances that the consultation would lead to a ban on cages, saying the previous government had announced the consultation but it never happened.
World Farming UK’s head of compassion, Anthony Field, welcomed the “landmark” step in farm animal protection and said 150,000 pigs a year would benefit from the ban on farrowing crates.
But farmers have expressed concerns that higher welfare standards could increase their costs and cause customers to buy cheaper foreign imports produced for lower welfare standards.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “We know there is demand abroad for our great British food. We must ensure that, in all trade agreements, we do not continue to undermine domestic production with imported food that is illegal to produce here.”
Ministers are promising new steps to ban real fur imports from cruel fur farms abroad where foxes, raccoons, mink and other fur-bearing animals are kept in small cages.
The strategy, published on Monday morning, says ministers will publish the results of the previous government’s call for evidence on the fur trade. Anti-fur campaigners were angered by the Conservative Party’s failure to publish these findings, and the Conservative government opposed plans to ban fur imports.
Document He said the government would publish and carefully consider the report of its animal welfare committee, establish a working group on fur and discuss scientific findings on the welfare of fur animals with the EU, a major source of imported fur.
Campaigning organization Animal Aid said the proposed ban on pitfall traps would save countless animals from hours or days of suffering.
The strategy also proposes introducing a “closed season” for rabbits to reduce the number of rabbits shot during the breeding season. Currently, young rabbits are left vulnerable to starvation and predation when their mothers are killed.
Ministers are also promising an end to dog breeding, where young dogs are raised in poor conditions and sold at high turnover rates, sometimes through breeders who rent homes to appear respectable.
New licenses will be evaluated for pet rescue and rehoming organizations to ensure checks are carried out in shelters.
Michael Webb, of Battersea Dog and Cat Home, said the reforms would address some of the key issues the charity has been campaigning on for years.
He said: “Obviously there are still a lot of details to be worked out and the strategy does not claim to solve every problem animals face. But Battersea is hopeful it will be the catalyst for real, lasting change.”
The government also announced a ban on trail hunting to prevent the activity being used as a cover for fox hunting.
