Page 49 of articles about behaviour-welfare

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare was asked to deliver a Scientific Opinion on the welfare of animals during transport. An ad hoc expert working group was established in response to the request which made use of the information provided by stakeholders during the Technical Meeting held on 13 October 2010. The scientific opinion on the welfare of animals during transport was adopted by the AHAW Panel on 2nd December 2010.

264 audits are planned for the 2011 programme, corresponding to roughly 4,800 auditor days on the ground, travel time excluded.

BPEX and the University of Bristol are leading a major research project to develop a system of assessing pig welfare using welfare outcomes as indicators. Along with the current welfare ‘inputs’, such as stocking density and pen enrichment, producers will be able to demonstrate welfare from the pig’s perspective.

The European Commission welcomes the announcement made earlier this week that several main actors in the pig meat chain have agreed on a plan to voluntarily end the surgical castration of pigs in Europe by 1 January 2018.

The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator the Hon Kim Carr, has announced funding of $100 million for world-class collaborative research and innovation under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres.

Pig gestation stalls (sow crates) will be phased out by December 2015, Agriculture Minister David Carter announced.