Keywords: Pain

New report reveals the minimal cost of fish welfare

Eurogroup for Animals and Essere Animali

Published in 2023

Presentation of the key points of a report from Essere Animali on effective stunning methods for fish, a key element for the welfare of fish not included in the recently introduced Italian "Sustainable Aquaculture" certification system. The report emphasizes the low investment cost of acquiring the necessary equipment and the possibility of financing this through the Common Fisheries Policy.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Stress

Go to document

Visites sanitaires obligatoires dans la filière porcine : lancement de la campagne 2023-2024

French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2023

Technical Instruction giving details on the implementation  of the 2023-24 on-farm visit programme for pig welfare.  The visits are intended to check that farmers are familiar with the relevant regulations, to give them advice tailored to their farms, to make them aware of the risks involved in tail docking and to remind them of the regulations concerning tail docking, on-farm welfare advisors and the cessation of castration of piglets without anaesthetic.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Working animals, Animal mediation, Enrichment, Risk management, Mutilation, Human-animal relationships, Pain,, Stress, Welfare indicators

Go to document

European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-000006/2023: Animal welfare in the report on the functioning of the Common Fisheries Policy

Question: Caroline Roose (Greens/EFA), Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA). Answer: Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on whether the Commission intends to include the issue of animal welfare in the report on the functioning of the common fisheries policy.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Molluscs, Fish

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Livestock farming system

Go to document

French National Assembly: written answer to Question no. 4180: Broyage et gazage des poussins 

Question: Nicolas Thierry (Ecologist - Nupes - Gironde) Answer: French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2023

Written answer to a question concerning exemptions to the law prohibiting the culling  of male chicks. These relate to chicks intended for animal feed, and permit an alternative to the use of ovosexing for white eggs intended for processing. Additionally, female ducklings are exempted from the law.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Abuse

White paper - Chick and duckling killing: achieving an EU-wide prohibition

Alice Di Concetto, Olivier Morice, Matthias Corion, Simão Santos

Published in 2023

White paper setting out slaughter methods, figures for the killing of day-old male chicks and female ducklings in the European Union, current alternatives (in ovo sexing, use of dual lines), and describing the European initiatives, both citizen and institution-led, to put an end to the grinding of chicks and ducklings.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system

Go to document

When Do We Start Caring About Insect Welfare?

Tina Klobučar, David N. Fisher 

Published in 2023

Article addressing welfare issues for insects in light of increases in insect farming and consumption, their potential as an alternative source of protein for human and animal food, and their cognitive and sensory abilities suggested by the scientific data.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Insects

Keywords: Pain, Societal issues

Go to document

French National Assembly: Written answer to question no. 2703: Alternatives à la castration des porcelets

Ms. Anne Stambach-Terrenoir (La France Insoumise - Nouvelle Union Populaire écologique et sociale, Haute-Garonne)

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on the Ministry's plans to encourage alternatives to pig castration and whether it intends to end this practice.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Pain, Societal issues, Mutilation, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system

Go to document

National chicken council broiler welfare guidelines and audit checklist

National Chicken Council

Published in 2022

Two-yearly update of the NCC broiler welfare guidelines including key welfare indicators (including foot pad health, gait, reduction of leg and wing injuries), with a focus on bird behaviour, objective measures and welfare outcomes, enhanced training programs for proper handling of birds, and an improved audit tool.

Document Types: Good practice guide

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Mutilation, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system

Go to document

Inter-Observer Repeatability of Indicators of Consciousness after Waterbath Stunning in Broiler Chickens

Alexandra Contreras-Jodar, Aranzazu Varvaró-Porter, Virginie Michel, Antonio Velarde

Published in 2022

A study proposing an improved list of indicators available for use in commercial abattoirs to ensure the consistency of assessments of the effectiveness of electrostunning in broilers. Prior to bleeding, it is better to check for breathing than for blinking or spontaneous vocalizations. During bleeding, the recommended indicators are breathing, wing flapping and head shaking.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Carcass quality, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress

Go to document

Impact of Procedures and Human-Animal Interactions during Transport and Slaughter on Animal Welfare of Pigs: A Systematic Literature Review

Rudi Isbrandt, Mechthild Wiegard, Diana Meemken, Nina Langkabel

Published in 2022

Systematic review of the literature to identify animal-based and management-based indicators that could be influenced by changes in handling procedures for feeder pigs on the day of slaughter. Factors with the highest impact on pig welfare were the calmness of operators when handling animals, reduction of environmental noise and transport time, and control of stunning effectiveness.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress

Go to document