(NZ)SPCA Calls For Mandatory Reporting (re 60,000 hens suffocated)

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SPCA Calls For Mandatory Reporting

Monday,

27 August 2001, 10:51 am

Press Release: RNZSPCA

The Royal New Zealand SPCA wants mandatory reporting by the poultry

industry of any incidents leading to significant stock deaths.

" We are alarmed at reported comments by Bob Diprose, Executive of the Poultry Industry Association, that the industry has

no obligation to report incidents such as the horrific suffocation of

up to 60,000 hens on a Rangiora farm last week, " says SPCA Chief

Executive Officer, Peter Blomkamp.

" It should be mandatory for incidents of this nature to be reported

to MAF or SPCA inspectors for independent investigation. This

incident only came to our attention as a result of an anonymous tip-off.

" I believe that consumers would expect nothing less than for

incidents involving major suffering of birds to be independently

investigated, " he says.

The SPCA will be pushing for mandatory reporting of such incidents to

be included in the animal welfare codes covering the poultry

industry, which are currently under revision.Ends