One chance to get it right on equine identif ication
A Defra consultation on ID laws is a “fantastic opportunity” to change the system, and boost welfare and traceability
A GOVERNMENT consultation on the equine ID system is a rare and “fantastic opportunity to get it right”.
Defra’s public consultation on its proposals to improve equine identification and traceability has been welcomed by World Horse Welfare as “of pivotal importance”.
H&H reported that Defra was to consult, after an Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee report condemned Britain’s “unfit for purpose” equine ID system, whose “outdated and fragmented paper systems enable fraud” (news, 21 October).
Jan Rogers of the British
Horse Council (BHC), who is also head of research and policy at
The Horse Trust, told H&H the consultation is welcome.
She said the document is very technical, so the BHC has created a more accessible version.
“The survey invites people for their views, on what would make it easier for them to keep their records up to date,” she said.
Defra acknowledges in the consultation that the data on the Central Equine Database, which should contain up-to-date details of all equines who live in the UK, is inaccurate and incomplete, for reasons including the fact equine passports are paper-based.
One proposal is to allow keepers to update horses’ passport details online or via an app, free.
Ms Rogers said current equine ID regulations were brought in in 2015, after the horsemeat scandal, and based on food-chain safety. Defra is now looking at prioritising welfare, traceability, and disease prevention.
“But we can only do that if we know where horses are,” she said. “They’re trying to find out what the system needs to do to meet these requirements.
“This is so important. We don’t have many opportunities to change legislation and if we don’t get this right, it will be a long time before we get another chance.”
World Horse Welfare CEO Roly Owers said the horsemeat scandal highlighted the need for major change to the ID system.
“The current system is simply not working and a simple, effective digital system is vital,” he said.
“Defra now has a fantastic window of opportunity to get it right and we encourage anyone connected to horses to take part. By so doing, you will be contributing to a change for the better for horse welfare.”
The consultation also seeks broader views on all aspects of equine ID and traceability.
A Defra spokesman told
H&H: “We are proposing changes to equine identification and traceability in England with the aim of improving the health and welfare of horses.”
For the survey, visit britishhorsecouncil.org