Editorial - Animal welfare - key domestic and international developments of operational and strategic significance

Dr A.C. David Bayvel
Dr A.C. David Bayvel

Animal welfare is a fast moving public policy area, both domestically and internationally, and a number of important developments and initiatives have taken place since the last animal welfare special issue of Biosecurity in August, 2005.

All these activities make an important contribution to New Zealand's strategic approach to animal welfare, i.e., incremental, science-based change management over realistic time frames, with the active involvement of all affected and interested parties and informed by the MAF animal welfare mission.

Domestic developments

Within the Animal Welfare Group there have been several key appointments:
Dr Kate Littin to the position of Technical Adviser, Dr Roger Poland to the position of Senior Adviser and
Ms Haley Shepherd to the position of Team Support Officer. All these appointments were funded by a successful new initiative bid. They are designed to increase support to the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) and National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC) and to support the implementation of requirements of the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

Responsibility for animal welfare policy analysis and legislative amendments has transferred from MAF Policy to Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) Policy, and an Animal Welfare Committee has been established to better coordinate animal welfare activities within MAF and with NAWAC, NAEAC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Eight codes of welfare have been developed and received ministerial approval to date, and an additional five codes are due to be gazetted over the next 12 months.

The National Animal Welfare Emergency Management (NAWEM) Group has been established to ensure appropriate MAF/Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management liaison and appropriate involvement of key stakeholders, as outlined in the article on page 18.

A joint MAF/SPCA Animal Welfare Inspectors Task Force has been established and a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) Verification Agency, to ensure that issues relating to animal welfare enforcement capability and capacity are addressed.

The New Zealand Three Rs programme at Massey University has been established to give a focus to this important policy and ethical commitment regarding the use of animals in research, testing and teaching (see article on page 13).

NAWAC held a successful workshop on pain and pain relief during routine painful husbandry procedures in 2006 and the Proceedings are now available (see Biosecurity 71:16).

The New Zealand strategy on animal welfare and international trade has been revised by MAF and MFAT, for approval by the Ministers of Agriculture, Food Safety and Trade.

International developments

On the international front, there have been several particularly noteworthy developments. New Zealand maintains ongoing involvement with the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) animal welfare initiative as outlined in previous issues of Biosecurity, including input to a Michigan State University e-learning programme.

Liaison continues with the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) regarding a proposed Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare.

New Zealand remains involved in the EU Welfare Quality project, as outlined on page 16 of this issue by Dr Lindsay Matthews, and this country's further involvement in animal welfare law is outlined by Dr Ian Robertson on page 4.

MAF has been working with the United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in collaborative animal welfare research, a proposal for a NZ/EU Animal Welfare Cooperation Forum has been accepted and NAWAC is an invited corresponding observer in Euro-Farm Animal Welfare Council.

Looking ahead

Discussion on animal welfare policy and practice and animal welfare and animal rights will continue into the foreseeable future and MAF will continue to interact with key stakeholders. NAWAC and NAEAC will continue to play key statutory roles and provide independent advice to government. Where necessary, animal welfare change management will be science-based and will require validation of the proposed welfare benefits of alternative production or management systems. At an international level, MAF will continue to interact with key agencies and institutions to consolidate and further develop New Zealand's reputation and leadership in the field of animal welfare.

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Page last updated: 30 April 2008