Discipline: Ethics

A Kettle of Fish: A Review of the Scientific Literature for Evidence of Fish Sentience

Helen Lambert, Amelia Cornish, Angie Elwin, Neil D'Cruze

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the scientific evidence on fish sentience and its implications for the commercial farming of fish. It concludes that there is a need to review the welfare regulations for farmed fish.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system, Societal issues

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Avian cognition and the implications for captive parrot welfare

H.S. Starenchak Baukhagen, M.D. Engell

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the potential ethical implications of new information on parrot cognition for their keeping in captivity.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal Categories:Birds (excluding poultry)

Keywords: Enrichment, Housing, Human-animal relationships,Societal issues, Living environment

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Animal Welfare Underenforcement as a Rule of Law Problem

Mr. B. Rodriguez Ferrere

Published in 2022

A scientific article examining the way in which animal welfare regulations are enforced. It concludes that they are under-enforced, and that this poses a more general problem  in that it undermines the rule of law

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-001279/22: Restricting the practice of 'halal' by Islamic butchers

Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR). Answer: Executive VP Vestager on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the sale of halal meat without the knowledge of consumers in the absence of specific labelling, and the restriction this will place on  competition. 

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Stress

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Guide d’évaluation de l’aptitude au transport des animaux de boucherie malades ou blessés

OSAV and ASVC

Published in 2022

Article on a guide produced by the OSAV and the Swiss Association of Canton Veterinarians, which sets out the criteria for assessing an animal's suitability for transport and describes precautionary measures to ensure careful treatment of the animals. 

Document Types: Good practice guide

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-001021/22: Mobile slaughterhouses

Question: Christine Schneider (EPP). Answer: Mem Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on mobile abattoirs, whether they should be authorised by the EU and, if so, whether the EU should provide financial support and launch a pilot project.
Document type: Reply from the European Commission

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Pain, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Report and Event: For a More Humane Union, A Legal Assessment of EU Farm Animal Welfare Laws

European Institute for Animal Law and Policy

Published in 2022

A report calling for a complete change in the way EU animal welfare legislation is discussed, drafted and implemented. It proposes solutions to the particular problems posed by the current legal drafting and the overly-complicated procedures for amending the legislation.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-000982/2022: putting.a stop to the keeping of wild animals in travelling circuses

Annika Bruna (ID), Julie Lechanteux (ID), France Jamet (ID), Georg Mayer (ID). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the possible funds that the Commission plans to grant to Member States to set up shelters or sanctuaries adapted to the needs of wild animals from travelling circuses at the point when the planned total bans come into force in these countries.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Wildlife

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Living environment, Human-animal relationships

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Study on animal welfare labelling

DG (SANTE)

Published in 2022

Report presenting the findings of the study conducted by the Commission's (DG SANTE) on consumer awareness of animal-welfare standards and the demand for additional information. It also describes existing animal-welfare labelling schemes in the EU and assesses their design and impact.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Poultry

Keywords:Societal issues, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Animal Abuse as an Indicator of Domestic Violence: One Health, One Welfare Approach

Daniel Mota-Rojas, Stefany Monsalve, Karina Lezama-García, Patricia Mora-Medina, Adriana Domínguez-Oliva, Ramiro Ramírez-Necoechea, Rita de Cassia Maria Garcia

Published in 2022

Scientific review reminding the reader of the link between violence towards animals and violence towards humans and the importance of finding early indicators of violent behaviour. It underlines the importance of the role of the veterinarian in detecting animal abuse and cruelty.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Psychiatric disorder, Human-animal relationships,Societal issues

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