Animal welfare bill being developed in isolation - Two government departments are working separately and animal rights groups are not being consulted, concerned groups say
But various reports, according to the parliamentary document, have highlighted the inability of these departments to work together to regulate norms and standards relating to the welfare of wildlife in captivity.
In South Africa, animal welfare is primarily regulated by the Animal Protection Act and the Performing Animals Protection Act, with the APA being updated to include wild animals in captivity., explained that the working group appointed by the department to draft the bill is composed entirely of the department’s representatives and vets from provincial agricultural departments.
Karen Trendler, an independent animal consultant, said the way that the bill is being developed has huge implications for welfare. “Our feeling is that yes, there’s a desperate need for improvements with animal welfare and while the APA has some issues, it actually is an Act they’ve learnt to use and has some very good components to it. The feeling is if you’re going to change legislation and you’re going to change who is enforcing it, it has to be an improvement.
“The AIA is enacted to provide for the breeding, identification, and utilisation of genetically superior animals in order to improve the production of food and performance of animals in the interest of South Africa.”policy position What is also “frightening”, Trendler said, is that there’s no clarity on who will be responsible for enforcement.
Asked why the NSPCA, as the current enforcers of the APA, and the DFFE, which is charged under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act with the wellbeing of wild animals, and other animal welfare organisations were excluded from the working group, the DALRRD said the animal welfare working group is a subcommittee, which is “an internal department of agriculture subcommittee and therefore cannot include non-officials from the NSPCA.
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