Report: OIE Global Conference on Animal Welfare
February 2004
By Susan Redward, Federated Farmers of New Zealand
Background
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) held a global conference on animal welfare in Paris, 23-25 February 2004. The purpose of the conference was to allow OIE to consult with stakeholders on its new role in animal welfare standards setting, and seek views on how NGOs and industry representatives can be incorporated in the active development of animal welfare guidelines.
Approximately 500 delegates participated, including from the government and private sector veterinary profession, scientists, animal welfare NGOs, and primary industry production and processing, including IFAP.
In 2002, the 166 OIE member countries mandated OIE to take a lead role in animal welfare, due to the relationship between animal health and animal welfare. OIE is already the official standards setting organisation for animal health and zoonoses under the World Trade Organisation but previously there was no single international organisation with a standard setting role for animal welfare. The OIE has established a department specifically responsible for international trade in animals and animal products, which will also address the topics of food safety and animal welfare.
At the 70th General Session in 2002 the OIE was instructed to prepare the basis for an international guide to good practice for animals, giving initial priority to issues relating to animals in agriculture and aquaculture. A permanent working group on animal welfare has been established to define and coordinate OIE animal welfare activities. Four separate ad hoc groups comprising experts (mostly vets) have met to begin developing proposals for international standards covering land and sea transport, humane slaughter (including religious slaughter), and humane slaughter for disease control purposes. Progress reports were presented to delegates who had the opportunity to comment during small “syndicate group” sessions on specific topics.
Structure of the Conference
The conference opened with political presentations from European and African Ministers, and the EU Commissioner for Health and Protection, followed by presentations from OIE officials outlining OIE’s animal welfare initiative. Then representatives were heard from animal welfare NGOs, veterinary professionals, animal transport industry, food marketers and developing countries. It was clear that the conference programme had omitted any direct involvement by livestock producers. This serious omission was noted during the conference. IFAP has written to the OIE Director General seeking that it be included in any future conference programme and consulted directly in the development of standards affecting the livelihood of livestock producers.
The second day was devoted to scientific papers applying science to animal welfare, and to the reports of the four ad hoc groups on the following issues:
1. Slaughter for human consumption
2. Killing for disease control purposes
3. Land transportation
4. Sea transportation
The majority of the final day was taken up with small group discussions on the above issues, as well as on animal welfare research, role of the veterinarian, communication challenges in animal welfare and issues raised at the conference, such as animal welfare in trade, and developing countries concerns. The groups reported back to the plenary session and the point was noted that farmers’ organisations should be included in the development of standards that affect farmers’ livelihoods.
Key issues
The following issues arise out of presentations and discussion at the conference (and have not necessarily been resolved).
- Whether OIE produces guidelines or mandatory standards.
- How different approaches to animal welfare can be reconciled.
- What the relationship is between OIE animal welfare standards and the WTO.
- How different views on animal welfare can be accommodated.
- How the specificity of different countries, especially developing countries, and production systems can be taken into account.
- Whether animal welfare standards will become a trade barrier.
- Ensuring animal welfare standards are science based and acceptable to all.
- Extent to which any costs of meeting higher animal welfare standards will be supported by higher prices in the marketplace.
- How soon can animal welfare standards be implemented (incrementally or rapidly).
- How to ensure participation of important groups, scientists, farmers, primary industry, vets, animal welfare groups, regulators, politicians.
Ad hoc groups developing animal welfare standards
The OIE envisage that the process will proceed first to develop overarching guiding principles before developing the detail on specific areas. The four priority areas are: air and sea transport, humane slaughter for human consumption and slaughter for disease control purposes. No written detail on the progress of the ad hoc groups was provided but IFAP has asked that the presentations be made available on the OIE website at http://www.oie.int.
Below are some notes on each presentation of the four priority areas:
Issues relating to slaughter for human consumption
The focus is on commercial slaughter only in approved facilities, from receipt at slaughterhouse.
Religious slaughter (kosher/halal) should be included rather than be exempt.
Animal covered are those commonly slaughtered commercially - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, buffalo, deer horses and ratites (emu, ostrich, rhea).
Issues relating to killing for disease control purposes
The focus is on the period from the time an official decision is taken to kill an animal until death.
Animals covered are cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry.
The aim is to give information on the most humane methods applicable to particular situations.
Disease contingency plans should address animal welfare concerns and should be led by the official vet responsible across the disease control area.
The key factor is the competency of personnel; membership of specialist teams should include the farmer/owner/manager of livestock.
Issues relating to land transport
This standard would cover aspects of handling animals.
Poor welfare during transport is often associated with poor carcass quality and reduced value.
Education is the key.
Staff should be trained about biological function and welfare (animal handlers, drivers other directly responsible for animals?).
Discussed the issue of who is responsible for transported animals.
Discussed design and maintenance of animal transport and journey planning.
Issues relating to sea transport
Propose to develop internationally acceptable guidelines, covering developed and developing countries.
Guidelines would cover sea journey, loading (port facilities and preparation), unloading (port facilities and removal of animals).
Animal covered would be cattle, sheep, goats, horses and pigs.
Action/recommendations for IFAP members
1. The recommendations from the OIE ad hoc groups will be circulated to OIE member countries for comment. IFAP member organisations should seek to be consulted before individual countries give their feedback to OIE. OIE has specifically stated it wants the best information available, including scientific and practical information.
2. The OIE meets in General Session in May 2004. IFAP members should examine the proceedings of the Conference on Animal Welfare, which should be available on the OIE website, and raise any issues or concerns with their OIE country representatives prior to that meeting.
3. IFAP should ensure that OIE consults it directly as a key international stakeholder organisation.
4. The first four priority areas cover issues that vary greatly in the degree to which they are currently subject to government regulation. The proposed scope of some of the standards is limited to circumstances in which officials are already involved (slaughter for human consumption is limited to approved facilities; slaughter for disease control is limited to the time an official decision is taken to kill an animal until death). On the other hand, proposals for land transport are not so narrowly defined and, given the huge differences in standards of transportation infrastructure world wide, they will need to be watched closely especially by developing countries.