News

Should the non-stun slaughter of livestock be ended?

Posted 13/08/2014

 

The issue of livestock slaughtering methods has been brought up again – this time by the president of the British Veterinary Association, who is urging Wales’ National Assembly to support the non-stun slaughter of livestock. Robin Hargreaves has also written to politicians in Northern Ireland and Scotland, asking for their support as well.

The BVA launched its UK-wide petition against non-stun slaughter towards the end of April and it has already gathered over 72,000 signatures. The letters to the regional assemblies/parliaments will add further momentum to the campaign.

The issue has been controversial because of the religious element associated with the non-stun slaughtering of animals. The BVA says the issue is concerned with the welfare of animals. Its letter says: “We have always made it very clear that we are not concerned with the practising of religious belief, but with the throat cutting of animals that have not been rendered insensible to pain.”

The letter goes on to say that there needs to be clearer labelling, identifying whether meat comes from a stunned or non-stunned source. The BVA writes: “If labelling is to be progressed, we want the discussion to move away from one about ‘Halal’ and ‘Kosher’ and instead for labelling to show whether meat is from stunned or non-stunned animals.”