News Release - Animal Welfare Organisations link up with Chinese Government

[Guest guest]

>Tue, 25 Oct 2005 12:22:01 +0100

> " CIWF Press " <press

>

>

>JOINT NEWS RELEASE

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>

>25 October 2005

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>Animal Welfare Organisations link up with Chinese Government

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>The RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming Trust (CIWF Trust) are linking

>up with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce to stage a ground-breaking

>conference in Beijing on 3-5 November 2005. The " International Forum on

>Animal Welfare and Meat Safety " will be the first-ever conference

>devoted to the welfare of the half billion pigs produced in China each

>year.

>

>CIWF Trust and the RSPCA are sponsoring several key animal welfare

>experts to attend the conference. These include Professor Donald Broom

>of Cambridge University, Dr James Kirkwood of the Humane Slaughter

>Association and Dr Mohan Raj, the slaughter expert from Bristol

>University.

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>The conference will also be addressed by Mr Jia Youling, China's Chief

>Veterinary Officer and Mr Huang Hai, China's Assistant Minister of

>Commerce, as well as executives from the country's leading meat

>producers and several other Chinese experts on meat quality, animal

>welfare law and ethics.

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>Joyce D'Silva, CIWF Trust's Ambassador, who will be addressing the

>conference on EU legislation on the welfare of pigs, says, " Pig farming

>is huge in China. CIWF Trust is delighted that the Chinese government

>has shown such interest in the welfare of these animals. We also hope

>that, as pig farming develops in China, farmers will avoid some of the

>inhumane practices which developed in Europe and which are now being

>phased out, such as narrow stalls for pregnant sows. "

>

>Paul Littlefair, the RSPCA's senior programme manager for East Asia,

>adds, " The RSPCA has a long-term commitment to promoting animal welfare

>in China and we see this landmark conference as the start of closer

>collaboration and exchange. There are a number of factors behind the

>increased interest the Chinese government is showing in farm animal

>welfare. The recent outbreaks of Sars and avian influenza have

>highlighted the connection between animal health and public health. At

>the same time other animal diseases, such as foot and mouth, have

>adversely affected China's ability to export meat. WTO membership has

>also brought a realisation that consumers around the world are

>increasingly making choices on the basis of animal welfare. Food safety

>has been given the highest priority and is being viewed by many key

>officials in China as directly linked with the wellbeing of the

>individual animal. They very much recognise the importance of higher

>standards of care and are keen to see progress in this area. "

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>Ends

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>Notes

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>For further information and interviews contact Joyce D'Silva/CIWF Trust

>on

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>+44 (0)1730 264208 / +44 (0) 237377 or Mobile +44 (0)771 000 2986

>

>or

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>Paul Littlefair on +44 (0)870 7540 359. or Mobile +44 (0)790 415 5944

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>

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>The conference programme is available on request from

>plittlefair

>or joyce

>

>Ends

 

 

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