The UK’s Green MEPs – Jean Lambert, Molly Scott Cato and Keith Taylor – have launched their latest animal protection newsletter Making Tracks.

The Autumn/Winter 2018 issue outlines the work our MEPs have done on important issues including:

• The European Parliament’s vote to end bullfighting subsidies
• Jean’s calls to end cruel game bird battery cages
• Jean’s support for a ‘Wooferendum’ on the final Brexit deal
• Keith’s criticism of the UK Government’s export deal with Saudi Arabia to allow meat from lambs slaughtered without being stunned

Read Making Tracks in full here.

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Jean Lambert, London’s Green MEP, has called on the Government to support a global ban on animal testing for cosmetics.

In letters to the Minister for Security and Economic Crime and the Minister for the Commonwealth and the UN, Jean has urged the Government to support a convention to end animal testing for all cosmetics products and ingredients worldwide.

Read the full letter below, or click here:

Dear Minister,

Government support for a global ban on animal testing for cosmetics

The UK has taken a lead role in the ending of animal testing for cosmetics. As you will know, animal testing for cosmetics is banned across the European Union, including the UK, and there is also an EU-wide marketing ban. A number of other countries have also taken action. However, progress is still needed internationally to end this cruel practice.

As a result the European Parliament’s Environment Committee has called for action at United Nations level for a global ban on cosmetics testing, and this issue will be taken up by the European Parliament in plenary in March.

I am writing to urge the UK Government to do all it can to hasten progress on this issue. Progress will best be achieved via an international convention to end animal testing for all cosmetics products and ingredients worldwide, with action at UN General Assembly level.

Does the UK Government supports such an international convention and will it be proactive at the United Nations to bring this about? In particular I would urge the UK to table, actively pursue and support a resolution at the UN General Assembly to establish an ad hoc committee.

A strong UK position on this issue internationally could make a significant impact and hasten the end of animal testing for cosmetics around the world.

As this is an international issue, I also ask your assurance that the Home Office will work with the Foreign Office to ensure the issue gets taken up as effectively as possible.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter; I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Jean Lambert MEP
Green Member of the European Parliament for London

UPDATE (15/02/18): Read the Government’s response here.

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To mark World Animal Day 2017, the UK’s Green MEPs – Jean Lambert, Keith Taylor and Molly Scott Cato – have launched their latest animal protection newsletter Making Tracks.

The Autumn-Winter 2017 issue touches on important issues including:

• The UK is set to lose vital EU animal protections post-Brexit
• Jean’s letter to the Vietnamese Ambassador calling for an end to bear farming
• Green MEP’s submission to Defra on mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses
• Dismay at the inhumane badger cull extension

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Jean today sent a letter to the UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces asking him to help protect migrating songbirds at risk from illegal trappers on the UK Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia, Cyprus.

You can read the full text of her letter below.

—

Dear Minister,

Re: illegal trapping of songbirds on UK Sovereign Base Area, Cyprus

A number of my constituents in London have written to me as part of a campaign by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to highlight the illegal trapping and killing of hundreds of thousands of songbirds on the UK Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia in Cyprus.

My understanding is that the Sovereign Base Areas Police has been instrumental in securing recent prosecutions for this illegal activity and that British military personnel have helped to clear areas of acacia trees, which are used by trappers to hang ‘mist nets’, and associated irrigation piping. However, these clearances have not taken place this year – following a confrontation between trappers and military personnel carrying out this work last autumn.

I would ask you to resume these clearances immediately. It is estimated that 800,000 migrating songbirds are trapped and killed every year on this Sovereign Base Area alone, including many rare and declining species, and I would urge you to do everything you can to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Thank you for your kind consideration of this matter; I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Jean Lambert MEP
Green Party Member of the European Parliament for London

LETTER 2017 09 29th Armed Forces Minister SENT

Photo credit: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. See here.

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It is estimated that about 1,300 captive bears are still kept in extremely poor conditions in Vietnam, and farmed for their bile.

However, after years of campaigning by activist groups, the Vietnamese Government finally agreed in July to ban this cruel practice. It hopes to eradicate bear bile farming by 2020.

Jean has written to the Vietnamese Ambassador calling for bold action, and asking how the Government hopes to achieve its goal.

Read the full text below, or in PDF form here.

Your Excellency,

Progress on ending bear farming

I am writing regarding the recent commitments from your national government to end the keeping and farming of bears for bile extraction.

I would like to welcome the announcement made in July this year of the Vietnamese Government’s plan to eradicate bear farming by 2020 and work with non-governmental organisations to relocate the existing caged bears to suitable bear sanctuaries.

The Vietnamese Government is very aware of the interconnected problems of animal welfare, conservation and wildlife crime, and acknowledges that bear bile farming is impacting on wild bear populations. The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus, also know as moon bear) and the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) are the most heavily traded species. Both have IUCN Red List status as threatened species and are CITES Appendix 1 listed. Population decline is attributed to illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss for both species. Demand for bear bile and bear parts is driving the illegal trade.

In 2005 the Vietnamese Government committed to phasing out farming of bears for their bile. The announcement made in July this year strengthens that commitment and is to be commended.

Whilst there has been a reduction of the number of bears being farmed, from over 4000 in 2005 to a much lower level today, it is widely acknowledged that further action is urgently needed. Part of the solution should involve working with a range of non-governmental organisations who are working on the ground to end bear farming and re-home bears in sanctuaries.

It is estimated that around 1,300 captive bears still kept in extremely poor conditions in small cages and farmed for their bile. But there is a need to determine the exact number of bears kept on farms, as well as in other captive environments in Vietnam, and to document them by species.

In addition to determining the exact number of bears and their species, the highest degree of monitoring and enforcement is essential. Enhanced monitoring and enforcement will make a real difference in accelerating the eradication of bear farming.

The suffering of caged and farmed bears highlights wider welfare issues, and the need to take action against those causing suffering to bears, whether through keeping them in poor conditions or due to other forms of cruelty.

Vietnam is also well placed to set a positive example globally in the combating of wildlife crime and in the conservation of its wild bear populations, including working internationally in setting and demonstrating best practice and encouraging other countries to take action.

For the greatest impact in taking this forward, I would urge your Government to adopt a multi-stakeholder approach and work with a range of non-governmental organisations who are actively working to protect and re-home Vietnam’s farmed bears.

I look forward to your reply regarding the steps your Government is taking in these areas to eradicate bear farming by 2020, re-home farmed and caged bears, tackle cruelty to bears, combat wildlife crime and conserve wild bear populations.
Yours sincerely,

Jean Lambert MEP
Green Party Member of the European Parliament for London

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UK Green MEPs, Jean Lambert, Keith Taylor and Molly Scott Cato, have responded to Defra’s consultation on compulsory CCTV in slaughterhouses.

Green MEPs – and the Green Party – have been longstanding advocates for compulsory CCTV in all UK slaughterhouses. In addition, an independent body operating outside the slaughterhouse environment should have access to the footage.

You can read the full submission here and below, submitted by Jean Lambert on behalf of the UK Green MEPs.

Mandatory CCTV recording in slaughterhouses – Defra Consultation.

Submission by UK Green MEPs – Jean Lambert, Keith Taylor and Molly Scott Cato.

21 September 2017

Q1. Name: Jean Lambert MEP – on behalf of the three UK Green MEPs.
Q2. Your email: jeanlambert@greenmeps.org.uk.
Q3. Your organisation: UK Green Party MEPs: Jean Lambert, Keith Taylor and Molly Scott Cato.

Q4. Should there be mandatory CCTV recording in all approved slaughterhouses in areas where live animals are present? Please give reasons for your response.

Yes. There have been a significant number of investigations conducted in English slaughterhouses which have shown that vets are not picking up the abuses, poor practice and legal breaches that are occurring. The number of serious breaches officially recorded is dwarfed by the actual number of breaches.

The first investigation was made public in 2009. However, recent investigations show that the industry has failed to improve its practices in the intervening eight years. Clearly additional measures are needed to deal with abuses, poor practices and legal breaches. We welcome this proposal, and in particular would like to stress the importances of independent monitoring of CCTV, which will be essential for deterrence and for detecting problems. We would also like to highlight the important additional evidence which can be found in Animal Aid’s ‘Britain’s Failing Slaughterhouses’ report. [Ref: Animal Aid, Britain’s Failing Slaughterhouses, May 2017, https://www.animalaid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Britains-Failing-Slaughterhouses-v6.pdf.]

For CCTV to be effective, there needs to be a sufficient number of appropriately placed cameras in all areas of the abattoir where key handling, stunning and slaughter/killing operations are being undertaken. According to the 2016 FSA figures on red meat slaughterhouses across England Wales, those slaughterhouses which had CCTV for animal welfare monitoring varied on where they were positioned i.e. 37% had CCTV to cover the stunning area, 32% to cover the bleeding area and 39% and 42% to cover the lairage and unloading areas respectively. [Ref: Food Standards Agency (FSA) Results of the 2016 CCTV survey in slaughterhouses in England and Wales, 2016.]

A number of other countries have already taken steps on mandatory CCTV – namely France and Israel, with Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium’s Flemish region expected to follow suit.

Q5. Is it reasonable to require Food Business Operators to retain CCTV footage for 90 days? Please give reasons for your response.

Yes. Vets and others must be able are able to look back over a period of time to determine whether a questionable action brought to their attention was a one-off incident or part of a systemic, ongoing problem. For the measure to be as effective as possible there does need to be a provision for retaining footage.

The cost of storing footage is minimal – it has been estimated at £25 per slaughterhouse per year. 90 days would be an appropriate and practical timeframe.

Q6. If you believe the 90-day retention period to be unreasonable what is a reasonable retention period for CCTV footage? Please give reasons for your response.

N/A

Q7. Should there be unfettered access to CCTV footage, both real time and stored, for authorised officers, e.g. Official Veterinarians of the Food Standards Agency? Please give reasons for your response.

Yes

To maximise the effectiveness of this provision, slaughterhouse workers need to be aware that officials with a remit for animal welfare are able to watch their work in real time and at any time. This is the best way to deter illegal suffering being inflicted on animals in slaughterhouses. Being able to watch in real time also means that officials can identify and address problems as soon as they occur.

They must also have access to stored footage, so the duration of poor practice can be determined, and the question of whether it is widespread can be effectively assessed. It also means that officials will be able to take action on the basis of tip offs, and also that any allegations of poor practice or abuse can be assessed against evidence more effectively. Officials can check footage from times and days when their work has meant they are elsewhere. Stored footage will also be particularly valuable in providing evidence for criminal prosecutions.

We welcome unfettered access to footage for the FSA vets, however, we would also like to see an external, independent body oversee the monitoring of footage. There have been cases where vet action was lacking but could have made a real difference. For example, one slaughterhouse continued to slaughter cows using a stun pen that was not set up legally, and at another the layout of the slaughterhouse contributed to animal suffering. In such cases, robust action by vets could have rectified these issues before animals were caused additional pain and distress. Independent monitoring of footage has an important role to play in ensuring robust action is taken.

An independent body operating outside the slaughterhouse environment should be able to spot-check footage to act in the best interests of animal welfare without any risk of reprisals on the ground. In particular, we urge the Government to follow the recommendations of the ‘Research Report on CCTV Monitoring in Slaughterhouses’ (2016) by Prof Ian Rotherham and experts at Sheffield Hallam University. [Ref: ‘Research Report on CCTV Monitoring in Slaughterhouses’, Prof Ian D Rotherham et al, 2016. https://www.animalaid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/RotherhamReport.pdf.]

Q8. What are your views on the possible costs and benefits of these proposed reforms, as set out in the internal Impact Assessment? Please provide evidence to support your response.

CCTV is cost-effective and can be extremely helpful for monitoring procedures, training personnel, deterring abuse, and providing objective evidence, should allegations of malpractice be made.

Currently, 49% of red meat slaughterhouses and 70% of poultry slaughterhouses across England and Wales are operating CCTV facilities for animal welfare monitoring, so many have already made investments in this area. In 2011, when the requirement to install CCTV became mandatory in the 46 slaughterhouses operating under the Freedom Food scheme (now RSPCA Assured), it came to light that a significant proportion of them were already operating this technology. Of those who were required to install new systems, no members left the scheme due to problems of cost on installing the systems. [Ref: Food Standards Agency (FSA) Results of the 2016 CCTV survey in slaughterhouses in England and Wales, 2016.]

Although many slaughterhouses have installed this technology, many have not. A significant sector of the industry has been shown to be non-compliant with welfare laws, despite the presence of a vet and an appointed Animal Welfare Officer, and despite training and certification. Animal Aid’s Britain’s Failing Slaughterhouses 2017 report details animal welfare laws being breached in 14 out of the 15 slaughterhouses assessed. [See Q4 response for report reference.] Mandatory CCTV will play an important part in addressing such breaches.

The granting of Certificates of Competence suggests that workers know – or should know – how to comply with the law. Independently monitored CCTV cameras will increase compliance even when no regulator is physically present.

CCTV cameras will deter abusive behaviour and will also detect it. Footage from cameras will allow vets and FBOs to provide ongoing training to staff, ensure compliance with welfare laws, and provide independent evidence of wrongdoing.

George Eustace has said that the cost of installing cameras is relatively modest. Improving animal welfare whilst reducing and deterring abuse are significant and important benefits to be gained from mandatory CCTV. In our view these benefits far outweigh the costs.

Q9. Are there other potential economic benefits or costs not set out in the Impact Assessment? Please provide evidence to support your response.

The aim of having CCTV is to ensure the law is complied with and standards improve. It may be that slaughterhouses therefore have to improve training and working conditions for staff in order to meet these requirements. We consider this to be of overall benefit for animal welfare, workers and consumers and positive for the domestic market.

Q10. Should CCTV be installed in all approved slaughterhouses, regardless of size? Please provide justification for your response.

Yes. Evidence shows that workers at slaughterhouses of all sizes have broken animal welfare laws. To ensure the entire industry is better regulated, and that illegal acts are deterred and detected right across the board, CCTV should be made mandatory for all slaughterhouses.

The Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) recommends that: ‘In order to realise the potential benefits to animal welfare and to businesses…all approved slaughterhouse operators…should install CCTV in all areas where live animals are kept and where animals are stunned and killed.’ [Ref: Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC), Opinion on CCTV in slaughterhouses, p.17, February 2015.]

Q11. What do you think Government could do to help small businesses comply? Please provide justification for your response.

Mandatory CCTV requirements need to extend to all slaughterhouses including small businesses. However, a longer notice period for compliance could be offered for the very smallest slaughterhouses.

Q12. Have we identified the main potential animal welfare gains from CCTV in slaughterhouses? Please give any other potential animal welfare gains.

Yes, the potential animal welfare gains from mandatory CCTV have been identified.

However, there are additional gains beyond animal welfare which which should also be acknowledged. Some of these will help vets and hygiene inspectors operate more effectively.

CCTV can have positive benefits in terms of health and safety. For example, by deterring acts that could lead to injuries and deaths. Footage could help determine how accidents occurred and prevent them occurring again. The following examples have been cited: the accidental shooting of a worker at Sandyford and the death of a man crushed at the same slaughterhouse, both in 2011. Injuries at other slaughterhouses have included a man airlifted to hospital after being injured in 2013; and a man crushed to death by machinery in 2011.

There have been a number of firearms thefts from slaughterhouses. Captive bolt guns have been taken from slaughterhouses, and there have been cases of these being used in violent incidents. CCTV could deter theft of potentially lethal equipment and other property. It could provide evidence to identify perpetrators.

There have been reports of slaughterhouse vets and hygiene inspectors being bullied. CCTV would protect them, and allow them to undertake their duties with confidence.

The primary reason and need for mandatory CCTV is to improve animal welfare and tackle the abuse and suffering of animals in slaughterhouses. However, because mandatory CCTV would be positive in these additional areas, this further strengthens the case for its introduction.

ENDS

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In post-EU referendum Britain we need to stand together for animal welfare more than ever, say the UK’s Green MEPs in their latest animal protection newsletter ‘Making Tracks‘.

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Greens have been longstanding opponents of CETA, the Canada-EU trade deal. Like TTIP, the proposed but suspended agreement with the US, CETA has strong UK Government backing. In February Green MEPs voted against CETA in the European Parliament, although a majority of MEPs, including UK Tory, Lib Dem and many Labour MEPs voted for it.

Jean Lambert explains why CETA is bad for animals:

“There are many reasons to oppose CETA, but we mustn’t forget its potential impact on animals. CETA aims to increase trade between Canada and Europe, but it also puts pressure on regulations which can be presented as ‘barriers to trade’. CETA’s Investment Court System (ICS) gives additional powers to multinational companies to sue governments in private tribunals which operate outside the domestic court system.”

“CETA says little about animal protection, but Canada’s farmed animal welfare laws are much weaker than those of the EU. Under CETA an additional 130,000 metric tons of beef and pork will be allowed to be exported from Canada to Europe and these will not need to meet EU animal welfare standards.”

“But concerns over animal protection go further than this. We should not rule out the Investment Court System being used by multinationals to challenge present or future animal welfare provisions. As with environmental protection, this could lead to the overturning of public policy, huge compensation payouts, and, perhaps worst of all, a chilling effect on progress towards more ambitious animal protection laws.”

“For these and many other reasons Green MEPs voted against CETA in the European Parliament. Regrettably a majority of MEPs didn’t heed our concerns. But Brexit will certainly not solve the problem. The UK Government is strongly committed to CETA and wants to negotiate its own similar trade deal with the US.”

• A version of this article appears in the spring/summer 2017 edition of Making Tracks.

ENDS

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Jean and her Green colleagues in the European Parliament are voting this week on a report on Minimum Standards for the Protection of Farm Rabbits.

Speaking on the issue Jean said:

“As a recent film investigation by Compassion in World Farming shows, the conditions suffered by caged rabbits farmed in the EU is nothing short of abhorrent. Legislation is clearly needed, and I welcome the report on Minimum Standards for the Protection of Farm Rabbits, which will be voted on by the European Parliament tomorrow, 14 March. Green MEPs voted in favour of this report when it was considered by the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee (AGRI). I can assure you that my Green colleagues and I will be voting in favour of the report when it comes to the full Parliament vote.

“EU legislation has improved animal welfare in many areas across the 28 Member States and the EU has some of the most far-reaching animal protection legislation in the world. However, much more still needs to be done. Although rabbits are the second most farmed species in the EU, after broiler chickens, they do not benefit from any EU-wide species-specific protections. My Green colleagues and I therefore advocate species-specific legislation for rabbits, and will be voting for amendments to introduce it.“

Find out more about the Compassion in World Farming campaign and how you can encourage your MEP to support it here – #EndTheCageAge.

ENDS

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