Caged hens will be a thing of the past in England, the government has announced, as it launches a package of new animal welfare laws. Pig farrowing crates, which campaigners have said are cruel, will also be banned under the welfare changes. These cramped crates are used to stop pigs from rolling over and crushing their young, but once in them sows cannot turn over or move around at all.
Graat! More baby piglets squashed! That seems about right for a Labour policy change, to end up bringing about the very thing it sets out to halt...
About 21% of hens in the UK today are kept in enriched or colony cages. These hold up to 90 hens, and have perching spots, scratch mats and nest boxes, but generally only provide a tiny space – about the size of an A4 sheet of paper – for each bird. The birds do not leave the cages for their entire lives – until they are sent for slaughter. This does not meet their welfare needs: chickens like to bathe in dust to keep their feathers clean, scratch and peck on the ground, perch on branches and jump and fly around.The environment secretary, Emma Reynolds, is to announce on Monday that her department will consult on phasing out the remaining enriched colony cages and transitioning to non-cage systems next year.
Thus making British produced chicken extra costly, and resulting in the importation of more cheap chicken produced abroad with lower - or no - welfare standards. Sorry farmers!
Also in the new laws are humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish to spare them avoidable pain.
And the 'Daily Mail' is already trying to tell us that the lobster issue means restauranteurs will be out of pocket, but if they have chefs that don't know how to humanely despatch a live lobster with a kitchen knife, they are probably restaurants you wouldn't want to visit anyway.
Richard Wilkins, who runs 104 Restaurant in London's plush Notting Hill, is among those questioning the need for the new guidance.
'How do you police something like that? Is Keir Starmer coming in in his chef's whites to keep an eye on things?'
Mr Wilkins said. 'The wider issue is whether we should we be legislating on everything. It's probably the most inane part of the strategy – if we're just banning it (without enforcement) that's kind of pointless, isn't it?'
Yes indeed, it's very reminiscent of the ban on fur farming, which simply meant that fur was imported from countries that laughed at the sensibilities of the animal rights lobby, like China.
Reynolds said: “We’re a nation of animal lovers. This government is delivering the most ambitious animal welfare strategy in a generation. Our strategy will raise welfare standards for animals in the home, on the farm and in the wild. We’ve already acted to improve zoo standards, end puppy smuggling and protect livestock from dog attacks. Now, we’re planning to ban caged hens, cruel snares, trail hunting, and curb low welfare dog breeding.”
But crucially, I note, not planning to ban the biggest animal rights issue that the public have consistently requested when given the chance:
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