Document type : Action plan produced by Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (UK)
Preview: We have a world leading record on animal welfare, and over the last decade have made great strides in ensuring we offer animals the care, respect and protection they deserve. We have made CCTV mandatory in slaughterhouses, improved the licensing of dog breeding, pet sales and animal boarding, put an end to the commercial third party sale of puppies and kittens, banned plastic microbeads and straws which harm marine life, and stopped the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. The UK government provides global leadership in protecting and improving biodiversity. We are taking international action to protect endangered species and to drive higher standards abroad. Examples include our agreement and implementation of the global biodiversity framework at the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2021 and protecting 30% of our waters, with the commitment to protect over 30% of our land by 2030. We are leading the charge in advocating for the 30by30 target to be adopted globally at the Convention on Biological Diversity COP15. The health and welfare of our animals is intertwined with the health of our planet. We are implementing our 25-year Environment Plan, taking our landmark Environment Bill through Parliament, hosting the essential COP26 summit in Glasgow, and delivering our 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. COVID-19 has also put the spotlight on global health and biosecurity, demonstrating the delicate balance between the human and animal kingdoms.
Responses to the plan:
- article in Agriland (UK) on 12 May 2021: This is a huge victory for animal welfare
- article in FarmingUK on 14 May 2021: Sheep farmers welcome new powers to tackle dog attacks
- article in La France agricole published on 14 May 2021: Bien être animal : Le Royaume-Uni pourrait interdire la vente de foie gras
