Scottish Animal Welfare Commission: annual report 2020 to 2021

Work Plan and Work Group Activity

To date, the Commission has held 6 plenary meetings – in March, September and December in 2020 and in March, June and September in 2021. Minutes and records of attendance are published routinely and held in the Documents section of the Commission’s web page.

The Commission’s initial work plan was agreed by the members and published on 11 July 2020. Smaller working groups were formed to lead the projects and also to discuss some areas identified for consideration in the medium term. Updates on the activity and output of these groups is as follows. Where reports are referenced, further information can be found in the “Publications” section.

Aquaculture

The working group was formed in March 2021 to consider the welfare of farmed fish in Scotland, including to provide an opinion on the welfare aspects of practices that are required to make the sector sustainable. The group is currently considering the welfare issues arising for farmed fish, and wild animals when protecting farmed fish from predation (such as use of acoustic deterrents).

Beavers

The Beavers Working Group has paused its activity while a judicial review, considering the issuing of licences for killing beavers, is underway.

Deer Welfare

The working group was formed with the aim of providing a collective SAWC response to deer welfare issues arising from recommendations of the Deer Working Group Report of 2019. The Deer Working Group was established by the Scottish Government in 2017 to provide an independent review of existing statutory and non-statutory arrangements for the management of wild deer in Scotland.

The working group published its response to the Deer Working Group Report on 3 February 2021.

Dog Training

The working group was established in March 2021 to review whether dog trainers and dog training methods should be regulated. This includes considering the use of electronic training collars.

Exotic Pets

The working group is considering animal welfare issues surrounding the keeping of exotic pets in Scotland and the potential need for further regulation. It has consulted a number of different sectors during its enquiries, including local authorities, APHA, Scottish SPCA, pet and trade industry stakeholders, Scottish/UK animal welfare NGOs, and EU stakeholders and officials.

Glue Traps

The working group was established to provide an opinion on the use and impact of these forms of wildlife management.

SAWC’s report on the use of glue traps in Scotlandwas finalised and published on the SAWC webpage on 23 March 2021.

Sentience

The working group’s main aim was to produce a statement on the definition of animal sentience, to use as a guide to SAWC’s future activities. Notably, the definition also recognised sentience in cephalopods and decapod crustaceans.

SAWC’sdefinition of animal sentience was finalised and published on the SAWC webpage on 10 February 2021.

Wildlife Welfare

The Scottish Government has a Programme for Government commitment to publish ‘a strategic approach to wildlife management that puts animal welfare at the centre while protecting public health and economic and conservation considerations. We will publish a set of principles next year.’ This work group was set up in order to review the principles and consider approving these if appropriate. One of the SAWC Members, Dr Pete Goddard, is also Chair of the Wild Animal Welfare Committee (WAWC). Dr Goddard provided an opportunity for more public exposure on ideas around wildlife welfare by means of a WAWC Virtual Conference which was held on 19 April 2021. An international panel of speakers were joined by over 300 members of the public, who signed up to attend.

Other areas of the work plan that may be considered in the future:

Codes of practice vs industry guidance

Provide an opinion on how information can be best disseminated and its impact in practice. Role for SAWC in reviewing revised or new versions of these (alongside activities of AWC), particularly those falling under areas of particular Scottish concerns such as aquaculture.

Abattoir provision and opportunities for mobile slaughterhouses

From a Scottish perspective to review the welfare issues around numbers of abattoirs, slaughter journey times and the welfare of animals killed in mobile slaughterhouses.

Scottish Wildcat reintroduction

Consider welfare aspects of microchipping domestic cats, compulsory neutering of cats and outdoor cat controls – opportunity for SAWC to review policy or provide an opinion on welfare issues at some point. Dr Andrew Kitchener to advise on current activities with SWC Action Plan Steering Group.

Performing animals and animal encounters (potentially including therapy animals)

Currently stakeholder engagement activities in this area but SAWC could provide an opinion on welfare of animals used under these different types of management, including the lives of these animals when not on exhibit/in use.

Welfare of horses kept for racing

Currently no plans to look at this. May respond in future if specific questions from the Minister in this area.

Greyhound racing

Could be considered in future as GBGB regulation only covers licensed tracks, to address issues with unlicensed tracks, also whether regulation is effective in, for example, reducing fatalities at tracks.

Rewilding

Projects involving release of domestic or semi-domestic animals into a wild or partly wild setting raise various welfare concerns. SAWC would review these issues and provide best practice/policy advice.