A selection of animal welfare news from around the world

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Please note that the articles below do not reflect opinions of TAWC. Although we aim to provide comprehensive coverage, there are likely articles that we’ve missed.

O/S = Overseas source
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News 25 May - 9 June 2021

Cross-sectoral
  • UK red meat exporters tout high farm standards after AHDB event (The Pig Site O/S)
  • Balancing sustainability and welfare key for meat sector (Poultry World O/S)
  • BBFAW prepares for a new decade of animal welfare action (The Cattle Site O/S)
Cattle in beef & dairy production
  • Animal welfare complaints increasing in dairy industry (Stuff NZ O/S)
  • QLD backs smart cow collars with agtech grant (Innovation Aus)
  • Survey identifies most problematic sheep and cattle diseases (Farmers Weekly O/S)
  • RSCPA Australia publishes new welfare standards for dairy calves (The Cattle Site)
Pigs in pork production
  • Important top trends to watch in sow management (Wisconsin Farmer O/S)
  • Deadline looms for French pig farmers on castration choice (Yahoo O/S)
Poultry in meat & egg production
  • Artificial intelligence automates poultry welfare monitoring  (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Asia’s Minor Food Group to use only cage-free eggs (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • PETA sues Vital Farms, alleges false claims about welfare (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • The secret life of chickens: It turns out the humble pecker is something of an egghead (Country Life O/S)
Sheep in meat & wool production
  • Survey identifies most problematic sheep and cattle diseases (Farmers Weekly O/S)
  • WoolProducers leader spruiks Australian wool initiatives (Sheep Central)
Animals in transit & at slaughter
  • WA and Commonwealth laws ruled not inconsistent over live export (West Australian)
  • Cattle industry compensation for 'unlawful' live export ban could hit $800m as class action attracts new members (ABC)
  • Australian observers likely to board just one live export ship in two years (The Guardian)
Animals in aquaculture
  • In defence of farmed salmon (Newswoom NZ O/S)
  • Fish farmers concerns over prospect of coalition with Scottish Greens (BBC O/S)
Animals in research & teaching
  • Guidelines produced in bid to aid the welfare of horses used in medicine production (Horsetalk O/S)
  • U.K. set to loosen rules for gene-edited crops and animals (Science O/S)
  • RSPCA welcomes new code on cosmetic animal testing claims (Vet Practice Mag)
Animals in racing & sport
  • Horse Welfare Board UK announces new team to lead equine welfare overhaul (SBC News O/S)
  • Prized Magic Millions horses killed in road carnage (Racenet)
Animals in zoos, aquaria & the wild
  • Fowl play: duck hunting struggles to stay afloat in Victoria (The Guardian)
  • Ducks granted partial reprieve (The News – Mornington)
  • Lessons learned from Covid-19 must spell the end of the badger cull (The Independent O/S)
  • Agriculture and Forestry Coalition Moves to Defend Gray Wolf Delisting (Farm Bureau O/S)
  • In the Case of the Dingo, We See Wishes Forming Beliefs (Epoch Times O/S)
Pets & companion animals
  • Is Your Horse Lonely? The Negative Effects of Social Isolation (The Horse O/S)
  • Guide To Disaster Preparedness For Pet Owners (Forbes O/S)
  • Mouse plague causes national critical shortage of vitamin K for poisoned pets (ABC)
  • Study: Horses Are More Relaxed Around Familiar Humans (The Horse O/S)
Podcasts & presentations
  • Creating the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System: Dr Peter Barnard talks about the 2011 live export ban and the birth of ESCAS (ABC)
  • Assessing dairy cow welfare, Muireann Conneely, TEAGASC. (Presentation)
  • Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare (Uni Guelph). (3MT presentations)
Policy
  • Independent Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, has introduced a bill to establish an independent body to oversee animal welfare at the Commonwealth level (Parliament of Australia)
  • WA set to modernise animal welfare laws (Govt of Western Australia)
  • QLD State Government’s long overdue review of animal welfare laws (Mirage News)
  • 88th OIE General Session – Newsletter (OIE)
  • Animal sentience legislation: Canada should follow the UK (Canadian Lawyer O/S)
Other/Publications
  • Cows in pain, thirsty peaches, stressed tomatoes: how tech’s helping nature talk to farmers (Brisbane Times)
  • Britain can lead the world to a brighter future for humans and animals (The House O/S)
  • Do animals hug each other? (Live Science O/S)
  • Some animals are more equal than others (Vox O/S)
  • The pig whisperer: the Dutch farmer who wants to end factory farming (The Guardian O/S)
  • Understanding flexitarian preferences and needs is key to keeping them engaged with meat and dairy. (UK AHDB O/S)
  • International Society for Applied Ethology – Papers by Members – Pigs, fish, mink, snakes, dairy cows (ISAE)
  • Clegg, I.L.K.; Boys, R.M.; Stockin, K.A. Increasing the Awareness of Animal Welfare Science in Marine Mammal Conservation: Addressing Language, Translation and Reception Issues. Animals 2021, 11, 1596. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061596
  • Hayes, M.E., Hemsworth, L.M., Morrison, R.S., Tilbrook, A.J. and Hemsworth, P.H. (2021) Positive human contact and housing systems impact the responses of piglets to various stressors. Animals 11, 1619. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/1619
  • Manteca Vilanova, X.; Beaver, B.; Uldahl, M.; Turner, P.V. Recommendations for Ensuring Good Welfare of Horses Used for Industrial Blood, Serum, or Urine Production. Animals 2021, 11, 1466. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051466
  • Scopa Chiara, Greco Alberto, Contalbrigo Laura, Fratini Elisabetta, Lanatà Antonio, Scilingo Enzo Pasquale, Baragli Paolo. Inside the Interaction: Contact With Familiar Humans Modulates Heart Rate Variability in Horses. Frontiers in Veterinary Science , 7 , 2020 p 998. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2020.582759 
  • Schmelz Martin, Krause E. Tobias. Simple but Complex — A Laying Hen Study as Proof of Concept of a Novel Method for Cognitive Enrichment and Research. Frontiers in Animal Science, 2,2021, p18.  https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fanim.2021.671905
  • Steagall, P.V.; Bustamante, H.; Johnson, C.B.; Turner, P.V. Pain Management in Farm Animals: Focus on Cattle, Sheep and Pigs. Animals 2021, 11, 1483. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061483
  • A. Resasco, A. MacLellan, M.A. Ayala, L. Kitchenham, A.M. Edwards, S. Lam, S. Dejardin, G. Mason, Cancer blues? A promising judgment bias task indicates pessimism in nude mice with tumors. Physiology & Behavior, 238,2021, 113465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113465

Conferences, Seminars & Events

  • DIARY HOLD – Animal Welfare Horizons 2021, Brisbane, December 1st (TAWC)
  • DIARY HOLD – The National Primary Industries Animal Welfare Strategy 11th Annual Forum, Brisbane. December 2nd – Further details to be announced. Express interest on NAWRDES Webpage
  • ISAE Workshop on Animal Welfare and Neuroscience. 14th Jun 2021 – 16th Jun 2021.  Late Registrations Email
  • International Society of Anthrozoology 2021 Conference Online. 22 – 24 June. (ISAZ)
  • Animals, Ethics and Technology: Towards digital rights for animals – 25 June, 1.00pm – 2.00pm AEST. Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, Univ Melbourne.
  • Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. Recent advances in animal welfare science VIII. 29-30 June. (UFAW)
  • Canine Science Forum 2021. Virtual meeting 6-9 July. Details HERE
  • National Livestock Wellbeing Seminar – July 13. Details TBA Register HERE
  • ANZCCART Conference 2021 – “Openness in Animal Research”. 25-27 July, Queenstown, NZ. (ANZCCART)
  • Graham Centre Livestock Forum. 30 July. (Graham Centre for Ag Innovation)
  • 54th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (on-line). 2 – 6 August. (ISAE 2021)
  • 8th International Conference on The Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level. 16-19 August – Virtual Conference. (WAFL)
  • 11th World Virtual Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences 22-27 August. (WC11)
  • 2021 Animal Welfare Foundation Discussion Forum (Virtual). 15 September. (AWF)
  • One Welfare World Conference – Virtual. 15-16 Sept 2021. (OneWelfareWorld)
  • 12th International Working Dog Conference, Oct. 12-14 (IWDC 2021)
  • LIVEXchange, Nov 10 – 11. Darwin. (LIVEXchange)
  • Australasian Pig Science Association Conference. 15 – 18 November. (APSA)
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