BVA calls for vets to have unrestricted slaughterhouse CCTV access

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA) have reiterated their call for vets to have unrestricted access to CCTV footage taken from slaughterhouses.

This legislation, coupled with the implementation of mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses, would make it easier for official veterinarians working under the authority of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to monitor potential breaches of animal rights.

It follows undercover filming by an animal welfare organisation in the Simply Halal slaughterhouse, which revealed serious abuses of animals at slaughter had occurred despite the fact CCTV was installed in the facility.

Figures from the FSA reported in the Times suggest more than 30 slaughterhouses refused to share footage with official veterinarians, undermining the usefulness of the footage from a regulatory perspective.

Under the current law, vets have a right to request the footage if they have cause to suspect abuse may be occurring, but this can be a time-consuming process, especially when courts become involved.

Sean Wensley, president of the BVA, said: "We need to foster a culture of compassion in slaughterhouses, coupled with robust and effective enforcement, so that the animals we farm for food have both a good life and a humane death."