Animal Equality Calls for the Application of 7 Measures to Reduce Extreme Animal Suffering in Spanish

In Spain in 2020, 906 million land animals have been slaughtered, together with cows, pigs, chickens, lambs, goats, rabbits and horses. Investigations carried out by Animal Equality during the last fifteen years have documented what number of of them are killed whereas totally aware, inflicting them utterly avoidable struggling.

Exceptions to authorized obligations, gaps in laws and dangerous practices, enable this to occur on daily basis within the nation’s slaughterhouses. Subsequently, Animal Equality urges that 7 authorized modifications be made to forestall these occasions from occurring:

1: Elimination of the exceptions that enable the slaughter of animals with out gorgeous

Within the European Union, the regulation requires that animals be surprised earlier than they die, nevertheless, there are non secular exceptions (e.g. halal and kosher) that enable them to be euthanized whereas aware. In Spain, 198 slaughterhouses, 28% of the 700 current, use these exceptions to produce nationwide demand, however primarily as a result of it allows export to different nations that require non secular sacrifice.

In Catalonia, in keeping with information from the sector, virtually 50% of lambs and greater than 40% of cows and calves are slaughtered following these rites. Meat that’s not exported is bought with out warning customers about the best way the animals have been slaughtered. The regulation doesn’t require info on the labeling of meat so many customers are shopping for this meat with out figuring out it.

In December 2020, the Courtroom of Justice of the European Union licensed that the Member States are entitled to ban the slaughter of animals with out gorgeous and never enable any exceptions on this regard. The ruling takes into consideration the newest strategies in reversible gorgeous, which makes non secular freedom appropriate and improves animal welfare.

As well as, 90% of European residents are towards slaughter strategies that trigger struggling to animals and demand that gorgeous is necessary and with out exceptions, in keeping with an opinion ballot lately carried out by the Eurogroup for Animals.

For all of those causes, we demand that the Authorities of Spain prohibit these exceptions.

2: Elimination of at-home slaughter

In Spain, “yard slaughter” is frequent. European laws, accredited greater than 25 years in the past, enable these practices so long as the animal is surprised beforehand and there may be veterinary supervision; circumstances that, normally, are usually not met.

Animal Equality claims that these practices haven’t any place in our laws for the reason that administration has no risk of guaranteeing compliance with the principles.

3: Elimination of electrified water bathtub for gorgeous chickens

Thousands and thousands of birds are slaughtered yearly within the European Union whereas nonetheless aware. The trigger is the ineffectiveness of the electrified water bathtub as a surprising methodology. Animal Equality considers it essential to remove this apply to keep away from pointless ache and concern.

4: Elimination of carbon dioxide gorgeous methodology for pigs

The excessive concentrations of CO2 used as a type of gorgeous causes struggling and extreme misery for 30 to 90 seconds earlier than pigs lose consciousness. Carbon Dioxide gorgeous has been discouraged since 2005 and contradicts the necessities of even the European Meals Security Authority.

5: Elimination of animals exported to nations with out slaughter laws

Yearly greater than 2 million animals are exported outdoors the European Union and despatched to nations the place they don’t obtain any safety on the time of their slaughter.

Analysis carried out has documented animals in Spain slaughtered within the Center East in ways in which can be utterly unlawful in Europe. The European Union is accountable for the destiny of those animals, subsequently, Animal Equality calls for the prohibition of export to locations the place their welfare can’t be assured.

At present, Spain is the primary European nation exporting reside cattle and the second, after Romania, for exporting sheep. In 2020, over 1 million cattle and sheep have been exported primarily to nations within the Center East and North Africa.

6: Set up of cameras in slaughterhouses with impartial supervision

We demand the set up of cameras in Spanish slaughterhouses with impartial oversight and entry to veterinary inspection experiences. This measure would enable animal safety organizations to assist forestall acts of cruelty.

7: Software and evaluation of gorgeous techniques for fish 

One billion fish are farmed and killed within the European Union yearly. Though there are already strategies to stun them, they aren’t used and fish die whereas aware or they suffocate.

Over the past yr and in keeping with information from the business itself, 59,811 tons of seabass, trout and sea bream raised in fish farms have been slaughtered in Spain.

European laws doesn’t embody particular guidelines relating to the safety of fish on the time of their slaughter, however Regulation EC 1099/2009 itself permits member states to take care of or undertake nationwide requirements on this regard.

We request that these requirements that oblige fish slaughterhouses to use mechanical or electrical gorgeous techniques resembling these set out in Normal UNE 173300 or within the OIE Aquatic Animal Well being Code be drawn up and applied and their effectiveness assessed.

The big struggling that animals undergo in slaughterhouses may be prevented. We now have been investigating Spanish slaughterhouses for greater than 15 years, demonstrating the continued existence of dangerous practices and the usage of exceptions and authorized loopholes to proceed abusing animals even of their final minutes of life. It’s time to transfer ahead as a society and cut back excessive animal struggling.

Javier Moreno, co-founder of Animal Equality

Animal Equality has launched a petition to gather signatures to attain the authorized advances mandatory to cut back the intense struggling suffered by thousands and thousands of animals annually in slaughterhouses.

Spain