Report "Will Help Gamekeepers"
14 November 2008
The National Gamekeepers' Organisation (NGO) said today that a new independent report into game rearing will encourage debate, stimulate new research and ultimately make game rearing safer from political interference.
The Opinion on the Welfare of Farmed Gamebirds, published yesterday by the Farm Animal Welfare Council is a report to Government on the state of the UK game rearing industry. In general it supports the practices and standards previously set out in the Game Farmers' Association code of conduct but it calls for more research on a number of welfare issues and a greater use of farm health planning by all who rear game. This could involve better record keeping and individual game rearers working up their own 'farm health plan' in advance of rearing, perhaps in conjunction with their local vet, in order to reduce the likelihood of any disease and welfare problems during the rearing season.
An NGO spokesman said, "The Farm Animal Welfare Council is a respected independent body and anything produced by them should be taken seriously. Their ideas will now go forward to the Defra Working Party on Game Rearing, which is preparing a Government code for the industry and on which the NGO has a seat.
"We look forward to debating FAWC's Opinion with other interested parties in that forum. Once a Government code is agreed that gamekeepers can work with, the risk of serious political challenge to our activities will be much reduced."
You can read the FAWC 'Opinion' on their website: http://www.fawc.org.uk/
The response of the Game Farmers' Association can be read here: http://www.gfa.org.uk/gfa-news/7/
The response of the Game Farmers' Association can be read here: http://www.gfa.org.uk/gfa-news/7/