International

Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) Animal Health and Welfare Strategy (2004- 2014)

March, 2007

• Purpose
• Context
• Scope
• Objectives
• Definitions
• Accountability
• Implementation
• Of Note to Canada
• Ressources

Purpose

• To make a lasting and continuous improvement in the health and welfare of kept animals
• To develop new partnerships among industry stakeholders, government and animal owners/caregivers
• To protect food safety
• To reinforce an understanding of  how the care of animals impacts animal health and welfare, natural resources, biodiversity, the environment and the rural economy
• To educate animal owners, the government and the public about the importance of animal welfare and their respective roles and responsibilities
• To protect society, the economy and the environment from the effects of animal diseases

Context

Great Britain has faced an increasing number of disease problems in recent years such as:  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD), bovine Tuberculosis, Salmonella and Fascioliasis (Liver Fluke).

In addition to these animal disease outbreaks:

• 28% of farms inspected by the State Veterinary Service failed to comply with statutory welfare legislation (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs[DEFRA])
• a belief that how animals are treated reflects societal values
• a recognition that disease outbreaks  can have serious consequences for human health, the economy and the environment
• current system is inadequate and not sustainable and challenges for animal owners will increase (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs[DEFRA])
• a healthy animal is less likely to become ill or spread disease and more likely to be more productive, live longer and generate more profit

Scope

• This Strategy is part of a larger initiative, the Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy
• This strategy deals with animals under the care of people, including:
  • farmed livestock and animals raised for food/ breeding/ fleece/ hide/ other products
  • companion animals
  • used in recreation or for entertainment
  • animals in zoos, aquaculture and game farms
  • birds or animals not captive, but influenced by land management practices
  • rescue centers
• Wildlife is also included, if protection from cruelty is an issue and where there is a risk to:
  • animals of transmissible diseases and
  • humans of transmissible (with or without  vectors) zoonotic diseases and
  • when disease control measures used for farmed animals and other livestock  may affect wildlife
• This strategy does not address animals that are hunted or fished or the use of animals in research

Objectives

The overall objective is to ensure that the animals kept for food/ farming/ sport/companionship/ entertainment/ in zoos are healthy and treated humanely. As well Great Britain strives to achieve the highest disease-free status in the world and continue to trade animals and animal products in international markets. Nationally, this strategy will complement other related strategies such as sustainable agriculture; cost– sharing of animal health and welfare programs among the industry and taxpayers; quick and effective management of disease emergencies using agreed-upon approaches; and high standards of food safety and animal health and welfare.

Definitions

• The British Farm Animal Welfare Council, an advisory group suggests addressing animal welfare in terms of the ideals of the Five Freedoms:
  • freedom from hunger and thirst
  • freedom from discomfort
  • freedom for pain, injury or disease
  • freedom to express normal behaviour
  • freedom from fear and stress
• Animal Health and Welfare is defined as:
  • freedom from disease or  abnormality and the state/ well-being that results when  the needs are met of an animals or animals (physical, environmental, nutritional, behavioural and social needs)

Accountability

• The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Implementation

• The Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain was published in 2004 and primarily focused on farm animals
• As part of this strategy, The Animal Health and Welfare— The Evidence Base will also be published to provide statistical baseline information on current animal health and welfare conditions, from which progress will be measured
• This Strategy also plans to work in partnership:
  •  with other initiatives such as the Veterinary Surveillance Strategy, Contingency Planning, Veterinary Medicines: Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA),  Genesis Faraday Partnership and the National Equine Database
  •  with other organizations such as the Genesis Faraday Partnership to promote the communication and coordination of animal research, the Veterinary Surveillance Strategy to collect information from many wild animal populations, the Responsible Use of Medicine in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) to improve standards of practice, access to, and training and education with respect to veterinary medicines, the National Equine database, the Zoonoses Action Plan (ZAP) Salmonella programme will monitor and deal with salmonella on pig farms, the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) to allow some cats and dogs exemption from quarantine with safeguards to protect against importing rabies and other animal diseases, and Contingency Plans to deal with exotic diseases: Foot and Mouth, Avian Influenza, and Newcastle
• The England Implementation Group (EIG) is responsible for the implementation of this strategy and includes members from various industry sectors appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• In November, 2006, the EIG published an Implementation Plan to deliver this strategy, and monitor its progress and will continue to issue annual reports
• A central initiative of the EIG has been to create sector councils, to develop strategies for specific species: cattle, poultry, pig, sheep, companion animals, and aquaculture
• The EIG has outlined their five Themes/Guiding Principles of the Implementation Strategy:
  • working in partnership
  • promoting the benefits of animal health and welfare: i.e. prevention is better than a cure
  • ensuring a clear understanding of the costs and benefits of animal health and welfare practices
  • ensuring that anyone involved in animal care will understand and accept their roles and responsibilities
  • delivering and enforcing animal health and welfare standards

Of Note to Canada

• Emphasis on:
  • partnering with different industry sectors and consumer groups
  • educating animal owners and consumers to exercise good practices (such as avoiding the over use of veterinary drugs)
  • encouraging animal owners to understand and accept personal responsibility for the health and welfare of the animals in their care
  • establishing an independent England Implementation Group (EIG) to oversee and report on the strategy progress
• Recognition of the potential effect of climate change on wild animal populations and disease vectors, and the inter-relationship between wildlife and other animals as a risk to disease distribution

Resources:

• http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ahws/default.htm
• http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ahws/eig/index.htm