Britain’s horse passport system poorly understood – survey
A survey has revealed a dramatic lack of confidence inward Britain’s Equus caballus passport system.
The Equine Sector Council for Health in addition to Welfare conducted surveys final March amidst all those involved amongst the passport system, bespeak 5 nub questions across all surveys in addition to additional detailed questions tailored for each group.
The survey operate followed Secretary of State Owen Paterson’s commitment to review the Equus caballus passport scheme inward the wake of the horse-meat contamination scandal which ultimately affected most European states.
The survey revealed an urgent demand for simplification in addition to strengthening of Equus caballus passport regulations.
It revealed a dramatic lack of confidence in addition to worrying shortcomings inward most parts of the system, which is meant to safeguard the human nutrient chain.
Almost 3000 Equus caballus owners, 100 local potency enforcement agents, 600 veterinary surgeons, 54 Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) in addition to 2 abattoirs shared their agreement of the regulations in addition to their experiences.
“The results of these surveys are incontrovertible evidence that most parts of the scheme conduct hold failed to only about degree,” World Horse Welfare primary executive Roly Owers said.
“More importantly, the findings clearly present what nosotros demand going forward: a unproblematic scheme for identifying equines that is easy-to-understand, comply amongst in addition to enforce, in addition to inspires populace confidence.
“This volition alone last possible through universal microchipping in addition to a single, key database. Any improved scheme volition also demand pregnant pedagogy in addition to communication nearly our responsibilities to our horses in addition to the security of the nutrient chain – in addition to how nosotros must fulfil them.”
For the foreseeable future, Equus caballus carcasses are currently existence held until exam results confirm they do non incorporate the anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone inward club to safeguard the nutrient chain.
Further to this, inward Apr the European Commission published its Five Point Plan to address the Equus caballus meat scandal, which includes the intent to require fellow member states to maintain their ain key database in addition to motility to a unmarried PIO. This volition require United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland to review its electrical flow scheme of 75-plus issuing organisations.
At a coming together on 22 May the equine sector council steering grouping presented the survey findings to Lord de Mauley, who is the parliamentary undersecretary of province for resources management, the local surroundings in addition to environmental science, in addition to officials from the agriculture agency, Defra. They explored how the scheme mightiness last improved inward the curt in addition to longer term.
De Mauley said: “By working closely amongst the equine sector nosotros are making adept progress to strengthen the Equus caballus passport scheme inward this country. Together, nosotros volition exceed away along to operate amongst the European Commission to innovate a robust, centralised passport issuing system.”
The survey results revealed a catalogue of misunderstanding, patchy compliance, lack of enforcement in addition to a struggling scheme without controls or consequences.
More than lxxx per cent of those surveyed said they did non believe the scheme fulfilled its purposes.
Reasons for this lack of confidence included:
Misunderstanding of the rules
No grouping surveyed appeared to fully sympathize the rules, fifty-fifty inward their ain areas of responsibility. Across the board in that place was a fundamental lack of noesis nearly which types of equine needed passports, who could number them, in addition to when a PIO needed the passport sent dorsum to them for updating. Worryingly, in that place was footling divergence inward awareness of the rules betwixt Equus caballus owners in addition to the average PIO, in addition to fifty-fifty abattoirs did non recognise the system’s prime number usage of protecting the human nutrient chain.
Lack of compliance – in addition to enforcement
Weak enforcement was cited every bit the key argue why the passport scheme did non fulfil its purposes. Many local government admitted to non enforcing the regulations at all in addition to oft they had been given a lower priority inward low-cal of restricted resources. All groups pointed to a lack of compliance amongst the electrical flow scheme that has been allowed to become unchecked in addition to hence undermined its integrity in addition to compromised motivation to comply.
No key database
All groups said they believed that a lack of key database was a top argue for piteous compliance because, amongst no key database, enforcement was rendered impossible.
Complex or impractical rules
Veterinarians pointed to the impracticalities of the electrical flow scheme which, unless they conduct hold done hence previously, require them to banking concern check every horse’s passport earlier whatever medication is given. Their sense shows that inward every bit many every bit 50 per cent of cases the owners or keepers do non conduct hold a valid passport available in addition to hence many vets bring a pragmatic approach to the regulations past times recording whether patients are signed out of the human nutrient chain on their exercise databases. Owners mention vets every bit a trusted rootage of information, all the same a pregnant proportion of vets study that fifty-fifty they do non completely sympathize the rules.
British Equine Veterinary Association primary executive David Mountford said it was essential that whatever improved scheme worked inward exercise in addition to non only on paper.
“To minimise the chances of unacceptable veterinary residues entering the human nutrient chain the private sending a Equus caballus for slaughter must last culpable if the carcase returns a positive test.”
Sector council chairwoman Jeanette Allen said: “We conduct hold long recognised that the passport scheme was far from perfect.
“As a resultant of this extensive survey, nosotros are instantly inward a much amend seat to demonstrate the scale of misunderstanding of the rules.
“The survey results tally just amongst the highest priority risks inward the Equine Health in addition to Welfare Strategy review: Poor identification in addition to enforcement, lack of key database in addition to overbreeding of depression value horses. We clearly demand to motility frontwards instantly to do a simpler scheme in addition to ensure that communication is improved.
Martin Taggart, of the Donkey Sanctuary, said the revelation that United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland volition conduct hold a novel key equine database every bit good every bit moving to i PIO would assist a swell deal, every bit long every bit breed societies could exceed away along to save the integrity of their studbooks nether the forthcoming revised zootechnical regulations.
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