Sunday 18^th June 2006

PRESS RELEASE FROM COMPASSION IN WORLD FARMING - IRELAND

MAKE CHICKEN WELFARE A PRIORITY, SAYS FARM ANIMAL WELFARE GROUP TO AGRICULTURE MINISTER COUGHLAN.

COMPASSION IN WORLD FARMING CALLS ON MINISTER COUGHLAN TO DO ALL SHE CAN TO ENSURE THAT A STRONG EU DIRECTIVE ON THE WELFARE OF CHICKENS IS FINALISED AS A MATTER OF URGENCY WHEN EU AGRICULTURE COUNCIL MEETS TOMORROW (Monday).

At a meeting of the EU Agriculture Council tomorrow in Luxembourg (Monday 19^th June), the Council will debate proposals on the minimum rules for the protection of chickens reared for meat (“broiler chickens”). Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), Ireland’s leading farm animal welfare group, has urged Agriculture Minister Coughlan to do all she can to ensure proposals for a new broiler chicken EU Directive are not shelved. Some countries are citing avian flu as a reason to postpone finalisation of this Directive.

Mary-Anne Bartlett, Director of CIWF-Ireland, says:

“Chicken meat is unrealistically cheap. As a result of highly intensive production, these birds have a poor standard of life. They live in crowded sheds with no natural light or access to outdoors. At present there is no EU Directive that specifically lays down welfare requirements for these birds. Getting strong EU protection for meat chickens is now a matter of great urgency. CIWF is calling on Minister Coughlan to do all she can to ensure that a strong Directive for meat chickens is finalised by the EU Agriculture Council without delay.”

Background:

There are more broiler chickens reared each year in the EU than any other species of farm animal. There are over 5 billion broiler chickens reared in the EU each year. In the Republic of Ireland, 67 million broiler chickens are reared and killed per year.

At present, there is no EU legislation specifically for broiler chickens. This is an unacceptable situation in light of the fact that the vast majority of broiler chickens in the EU are reared very intensively, with welfare problems resulting from the use of super fast-growing varieties of birds that reach slaughter weight in just 6 to 7 weeks. These birds are prone to suffering from painful leg problems and even heart conditions as a result of this unnatural growth rate. In the EU (including Ireland), intensively produced birds live in very overcrowded conditions, with 17 birds or more living in just 1 square metre of space in windowless sheds that can hold 20,000 birds or more.

A draft proposed EU Directive has already been published by the European Commission. CIWF is of the view that it is too weak and allows overcrowding to continue. The draft Directive permits stocking rates of up to 38 kg/m2 (19 birds per square metre).

CIWF is calling for a maximum stocking density of 30 kg/m2 (15 birds per square metre). This is based on the finding of the EU Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare, which says that maximum density ”must be 25 kg/m2 or lower for major welfare problems to be largely avoided” and that “above 30 kg/m2, even with good environmental control systems, there is a steep rise in the frequency of serious problems.” CIWF also wants slower-growing varieties of birds used.

CIWF encourages consumers to choose free-range chicken meat, where birds have access to outdoors.

For further information

Please contact Mary-Anne Bartlett, Director of CIWF-Ireland, at 021 4639038

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