Pressure builds for non-stun slaughter ban

The British Veterinary Association and the RSPCA have written a joint letter to the environment secretary, Michael Gove, stating the case for the government to repeal a legal exemption that permits sentient animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning for religious purposes. They have also jointly requested that Defra release the latest Food Standards Agency survey results on the issue of non-stun slaughter, which provide details on the number of animals in England and Wales slaughtered with non-stun methods.
The letter to Mr Gove reads: “Scientific evidence clearly indicates slaughter without pre-stunning can cause unnecessary suffering. The level of restraint required to hold an animal still, expose the throat and perform an effective neck cut is typically greater than that needed for stunned slaughter. When the neck cut is performed, it triggers a barrage of sensory information to the brain in the conscious animal. Stunning before slaughter ensures animals are unconscious and, therefore, do not feel pain or suffer unnecessarily at the time of killing. We, therefore, call on the UK Government to retract the derogation that permits the unnecessary suffering of animals at the time of killing, from the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations for England and, in turn, require all animals to be effectively stunned prior to slaughter.”
Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive Officer of the RSPCA, said: “Our concern does not relate to the expression of religious belief, but the welfare of animals.”