CCTV becomes mandatory in Welsh slaughterhouses
All Welsh slaughterhouses must have CCTV installed by 1 December 2024.
The Welsh Senedd has approved new regulations, which have made closed circuit television mandatory in all slaughterhouses in Wales.
By 1 December 2024, CCTV cameras will be required to be installed in areas where live animals are unloaded, kept, handled, stunned, and killed.
The Mandatory Use of Closed Circuit Television in Slaughterhouses (Wales) Regulations 2024 has been introduced in an effort to improve and maintain the standards of welfare for all kept animals.
This legislation is a Programme for Government commitment, and is also included in the Animal Welfare Plan for Wales. Its introduction follows a twelve-week public consultation, where the majority of the 16,000 responses supported the installation of CCTV cameras in approved slaughterhouses.
While most slaughterhouses in Wales already have CCTV, the requirement will ensure that all approved slaughterhouses are covered. The Welsh government say this will support consumer confidence that welfare standards are being met.
This regulation comes after the announcement that the export of live animals has been banned in Great Britain. Under the recently passed Animal Welfare (Live Exports) Act animals can not be sent abroad to be slaughtered, and instead should be slaughtered domestically in a UK slaughterhouse.
The new CCTV legislation for Wales will come into force on 1 June 2024, which gives slaughterhouse operators six months to work with the Food Standards Agency to ensure they are compliant with the regulations.
Slaughterhouse operators will need to install and operate the systems, and keep the CCTV footage. The CCTV does not replace the direct oversight of management or Official Veterinarians.
Huw Irranca-Davies, cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs, said: “The network of slaughterhouses in Wales provide essential services to farmers, butchers, and consumers. They also provide skilled jobs and support local supply chains.
“Mandatory CCTV for all our slaughterhouses further supports consumer confidence that welfare standards are being delivered.”
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