The Scottish Government has announced that it will consult on compulsory CCTV in following years of campaigning by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and Veterinary Public Health Association.
The announcement, in the Government’s Programme for Scotland 2017-18, is part of a wider package of animal welfare measures and comes less than a month after Defra announced similar measures on CCTV in England.
Commenting, Melissa Donald, President of BVA Scottish Branch, said: “We’re delighted that Scottish Government is looking seriously at introducing mandatory CCTV in abattoirs. Although a high percentage of abattoirs in Scotland already have CCTV, there are no rules governing how the footage is used or kept, and it is essential that Official Veterinarians have unrestricted access so they can fully monitor animal health and welfare throughout the slaughterhouse.
“Following Defra’s announcement last month I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary urging Scottish Government to follow Defra’s lead in order to maintain Scotland’s reputation for high animal welfare from farm to fork.”
Gudrun Ravetz, BVA President, added: “Mandatory CCTV in all areas of slaughterhouses will provide an essential tool in fostering a culture of compassion that could help safeguard animal welfare and we will be pushing for a commitment from Scottish Government for Official Veterinarians to have unrestricted access to footage.
“Vets’ independence and unique qualifications help ensure that we continue to have the highest standards of animal health, welfare and food safety.”
