Top vet sings praises of QMS assurance scheme
Scotland is leading the way in developing policies that keep animal health and welfare front and centreprompting other parts of the UK to follow suit, a top vet has claimed.
Speaking at last night’s British Veterinary Association dinner, held in the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh, president John Fishwick commended many of the recent moves taken by the Scottish Government – and also gave a pat on the back to the country’s leading assurance scheme.
He said that, for livestock, welfare meant welfare throughout an animal’s lifetime, from farm to fork. Stating that vets were an integral part of this process, he said:
“The BVA has recently produced a grid which looks at whether some of the UK’S best-known farm assurance schemes addressed key areas such as veterinary involvement, environmental protection and welfare at slaughter across their production processes,” he said.
“I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that the Quality Meat Scotland scheme is one of the star performers here!”
However he said that the while a consultation on the introduction of compulsory CCTV cameras in abattoirs was under way in Scotland, England was a little way ahead on this front.
“We believe that the introduction of CCTV is an important additional tool for safeguarding animal welfare as a complement to the current monitoring carried out by Official Veterinarians to ensure high standards at every stage of the slaughter process,” said Fishwick, who urged the Scottish authorities to adopt the approach.
Turning to the possibility that England might ban live exports of farm stock for slaughter, he said that while Scottish ministers had expressed their intention to take a different line – fearing such a move could disrupt trade on the country’s island and more remote areas – Fishwick indicated a pragmatic approach.
He said it was important to strike the right balance between safeguarding animal welfare and ensuring a thriving food production industry for Scotland. Pointing out that the BVA had always maintained that animals should be slaughtered as close to the point of production as possible, and wherever possible transported on the hook rather than the hoof, he added: “However, we are clear on the need to pay due regard to geographical complexities, such as exploring how livestock can most humanely be transported from the Highlands and islands and other remote areas of the country.”
Highlighting the key role played by many non-uk vets in the profession, he also called on support from the industry for the BVA’S call to the Home Office to have vets placed on the shortage occupation list, to safeguard against a crisis in capacity. l A new veterinary school is to be set up in a joint initiative between Keele University and Harper Adams.
Hoping to accept its first cohort of students in 2020, the new vet school will provide a five-year programme leading to a degree in bachelor of veterinary medicine and surgery, with training to be delivered on both university campuses.