GFA Supports Defra Code
24 November 2009
The Game Farmers’ Association (GFA) has welcomed Defra’s public consultation, announced today, on a proposed Government Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes.
The long-awaited code is to be issued next April under the Animal Welfare Act and will set out the standards expected of all who rear gamebirds in England. Anyone not following the code after its approval by Parliament may be at risk of prosecution under the general welfare provisions of the Act, although the code will not be law.
“The draft code issued for consultation is an excellent document,” said Jonathan Crow, Chairman of the Game Farmers’ Association. “The Government used our own voluntary GFA Code as its starting point but set up a working group of all interested parties, including vets and animal welfare charities, to examine and improve our original text. The result is an up to date, relevant but practical code, which will ensure high standards of gamebird welfare whilst allowing current good practice to continue.”
Mr Crow urged everyone involved in game rearing - not just game farmers - to respond to the consultation, which can be found on Defra’s website. He said there were some small anomalies and mistakes in some of the accompanying paperwork, which the GFA would be pointing out in its own formal response to the Government, but that the draft code itself should be supported by everyone who rears game.
“It is important that individuals within the shooting world now support the draft code, which is the result of a great deal of hard work by the GFA and other representative organisations. Its approval by Parliament next year in its current form would confirm that the industry has high standards and the legitimacy of Government recognition.”
On the high profile issue of raised laying cages the Government is seeking views on three options: (1) doing nothing; (2) requiring all raised units to be enriched whilst banning barren cages; or (3) banning cages altogether – which would include traditional partridge boxes. The GFA supports option (2), which is the path recommended by the Defra working group and is also consistent with the line taken on this issue throughout by the GFA and other mainstream veterinary and countryside organisations.
“Defra’s own consultation warns of the dangers of over-regulating in this area. Not only would a total cage ban mean an end to virtually all partridge egg production in the UK, it would also export yet more pheasant egg production to unenriched cage systems overseas. None of us wants to see that,” said Jonathan Crow.
Date Added: November 24th 2009