The government has announced proposals to make CCTV compulsory in all abattoirs. The proposals mean that Official Vets, who are present at abattoirs, will have unrestricted access to footage, enabling them to better monitor and enforce animal welfare.
A consultation will follow which will allow FBOs and other parties to have their say in the matter. It is not known yet what the costs of such proposals would be.
The RSPCA has long campaigned for such a move and welcomed the announcement.
Dr Marc Cooper, head of farm animals at the RSPCA, said: “The call for CCTV to be
made mandatory in all England’s approved slaughterhouses has been one of the
RSPCA’s longest running campaigns, so we wholeheartedly welcome the Environment
Secretary’s announcement today.
“All farm animals deserve to be treated with compassion and respect throughout their
lives, and this includes at the time of killing.
“Many actions and initiatives aimed at improving farm animal welfare tend to focus on
the period when the animals are being reared. However, welfare considerations at
the ‘end of life’– when the duration of suffering may be short but the severity
of suffering can be very substantial – are just as important.
“A key benefit of installing CCTV is improved monitoring and enforcement, leading
to a reduction in malpractice and an improvement in animal welfare. CCTV can
also be used to demonstrate compliance with standards, a management tool for
training and monitoring slaughterhouse staff, and to evidence good practice
should allegations be made to the contrary.”
