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 2 - 15 September 2021

Cross-sectoral
  • Animal welfare, pain measured to improve quality of life (Stock Journal)
  • Vets warn that proposed EU antibiotics rule puts animal health at risk (The Pig Site O/S)
  • Lawsuits Over ‘Misleading’ Food Labels Surge as Groups Cite Lax U.S. Oversight (NYT O/S)
Cattle in beef & dairy production
  • What’s behind Twiggy Forrest’s ‘No pain, No fear’ beef slaughter process? (Beef Central)
  • 3D-printed Wagyu “looks just like the real thing” – what do you think? (Beef Central)
  • Welfare of milking cows needs priority (Irish Farmers Journal O/S)
  • Using sexed semen and genetic technologies to improve dairy and beef herds (Farming Connect O/S)
  • Sexed semen lab at Moorepark to open in November (Irish Farmers Journal O/S)
  • Halter plans to start selling its high-tech cow collars to Canterbury farmers after raising $32 million (Stuff NZ O/S)
Pigs in pork production
  • Dr Temple Grandin: "Covid-19 was a disaster for the pork industry" (Pig Progress O/S)
  • New CRC-P to solve the curly problem of pigs tails (CRC Assn)
  • Welfare: Enabler of animal performance (Pig Progress O/S)
  • Reducing the stress of weaning: is pre-weaning socialisation of piglets a strategy to consider? (Pig 333 O/S)
  • Pigs on the move: Self-driving pig houses (Pig Progress O/S)
  • Chloe Shorten: The pig industry must embrace its high welfare standards (The Press and Journal O/S)
  • PETA Says Hats Off to … Hormel? (PETA O/S)
  • There Must Be A Way -The outlook for the British pig industry continues to deteriorate  (Pig World O/S)
  • Food industry proposes ‘Covid recovery visa’ after warnings of surplus pig cull (The Guardian O/S)
Poultry in meat & egg production
  • Can gene editing fix the male layer chick dilemma? (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Consultation on procurement of cage-free processed eggs (Poultry World O/S)
  • Painful fractures: Large eggs push small hens to the breaking point, study finds, (PLoS ONE)
  • How poultry-specific LED lighting can benefit broiler and laying hen performance (Poultry Network O/S)
  • Is cage-free egg demand really increasing? (Watt Poultry O/S)
  • Chicken sold in Dutch supermarkets to lead a ‘better life’ by 2023: ‘This is a big step towards better animal welfare’ (Food Navigator O/S)
  • CP Foods revs up cage-free production (Poultry World O/S)
Sheep in meat & wool production
  • More certified non-mulesed fine Merino wool required (Sheep Central)
  • Strong market signals needed for non-mulesed wool (Sheep Central)
Animals in transit & at slaughter
Animals in aquaculture
  • Woolworths concerned by claims salmon certification scheme ‘may not be fit for purpose’ (The Guardian)
  • ASC ramps up fish welfare agenda (The Fish Site O/S)
  • Alt seafood: an analyst’s perspective (The Fish Site O/S)
  • Landing salmon: can Tasmania clean up the industry by bringing it onshore? (The Guardian)
Animals in research & teaching
  • What does a Culture of Care look like? Lessons learnt from a workshop survey. (Nature)
  • In major win for animals, Mexico bans animal testing for cosmetics (HSUS O/S)
Animals in racing & sport
  • From racehorse to therapy horse: pioneering study into welfare of horses who help people (Univ Bristol O/S)
  • World Horse Welfare says they are 'shocked' at how retired racehorses are treated after the airing of BBC Panorama programme (News & Star O/S)
Animals in zoos, aquaria & the wild
  • Pigging out Inside Taronga Zoo (Stuff NZ O/S)
  • Goulburn Shooters, Fishers and Farmers president slams proposed animal welfare reforms (Goulburn Post)
  • Bristol fairgrounds banned from giving goldfish as prizes (BBC O/S)
Pets & companion animals
  • Pet theft: criminalisation isn’t the animal welfare boon the government promises (The Conversation O/S)
  • Five ways to help your dog live a longer, healthier life (The Conversation O/S)
  • What’s it like to be a horse? How to improve equine mental health (Horse & Hound O/S)
Podcasts & presentations
  • Effects of human interactions on domesticated animals: positive or negative? by Paul Hemsworth (FVAS UniMelb)
  • The Pig Edge Podcast - Highlights from WAFL 2021, the international welfare research conference (Teagasc O/S)
  • NZ Greyhound Welfare Manager says they've got a better system to be more transparent about dog deaths (Newstalk O/S)
  • Webinar: How to support equine mental wellbeing – Andrew McLean (World Horse Welfare O/S)
Policy
  • Strengthening animal welfare laws (Tasmanian Govt)
  • Revised UK welfare in transport measures come under fire (Poultry World O/S)
  • Private bill launched in UK to ban cages for laying hens (Farmers Weekly O/S)
  • Greens introduce new bill for transparency in greyhound racing industry (Independent Australia)
  • RSPCA urges government to safeguard animal welfare in New Zealand trade talks (The Grocer O/S)
  • Animal welfare is an election issue and voters must continue to speak out for animals says charity (CISION O/S)
Other/Publications
  • Animals farmed (The Guardian O/S)
  • Can an animal welfare argument jolt the government into tackling the labour crisis? (The Grocer O/S)
  • Expressions of interest sought for the Western Australian Government's inaugural Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (DPIRD WA)
  • Furmark® Launches: Game Changer For Fur Sector Guaranteeing Animal Welfare And Environmental Standards, Answering Critics (CISION O/S)
  • How a tree, a dog and a chimpanzee taught Jane Goodall to hold on to hope (ABC)
  • Lawsuits Over ‘Misleading’ Food Labels Surge as Groups Cite Lax U.S. Oversight (INTIMES O/S)
  • Nicholas Humphrey on why new UK Animal Welfare Bill risks dragging us into a pointless legal minefield (Daily Mail O/S)
  • Peter Singer Wins $1 Million Berggruen Prize (NYT O/S)
  • Proceedings of the 54th Congress of the ISAE 2021 (ISAE)
  • Victorian rabbit farm under investigation following animal cruelty accusations (The Age)
  • International Society for Applied Ethology – Papers by Members – Broilers, Zebra Fish, Deer, Dairy Cows, Horses (ISAE)
  • Barreto, MO, Rey Planellas, S, Yang, Y, Phillips, C, Descovich, K. Emerging indicators of fish welfare in aquaculture. Rev Aquac. 2021; 00: 1– 19. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12601
  • Hansen, M.F.; Baxter, E.M.;Rutherford, K.M.D.; Futro, A.; Smith,M.L; Smith, L.N. Towards Facial Expression Recognition for On-Farm Welfare Assessment in Pigs. Agriculture 2021, 11, 847. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11090847 
  • Heinola, K.; Kauppinen, T.; Niemi, J.K.; Wallenius, E.; Raussi, S. Comparison of 12 Different Animal Welfare Labeling Schemes in the Pig Sector. Animals 2021, 11, 2430. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082430
  • Liu, C.; Zhou, H.; Cao, J.;Guo, X.; Su, J.; Wang, L.; Lu, S.; Li, L.Behavior Trajectory Tracking of Piglets Based on DLC-KPCA. Agriculture 2021, 11, 843. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11090843
  • Niemi Jarkko K., Edwards Sandra A., Papanastasiou Dimitris K., Piette Deborah, Stygar Anna H., Wallenbeck Anna, Valros Anna. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Seven Measures to Reduce Tail Biting Lesions in Fattening Pigs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 2021, 1020. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2021.682330     
  • Robinson, S., Kerton, A. What does a Culture of Care look like? Lessons learnt from a workshop survey. Lab Anim (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-021-00852-6
  • Snowdon, C.T. Animal Signals, Music and Emotional Well-Being. Animals 2021, 11, 2670. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11092670
  • Thøfner ICN, Dahl J, Christensen JP (2021) Keel bone fractures in Danish laying hens: Prevalence and risk factors. PLoS ONE 16(8): e0256105. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256105
  • Ventura, G.; Lorenzi, V.; Mazza, F.; Clemente, G.A.; Iacomino, C.; Bertocchi, L.; Fusi, F. Best Farming Practices for the Welfare of Dairy Cows, Heifers and Calves. Animals 2021, 11, 2645. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11092645

Conferences, Seminars & Events

  • DIARY HOLD – Animal Welfare Horizons 2021, VIRTUAL EVENT, 29th November. Express interest on TAWC Webpage
  • DIARY HOLD – The National Primary Industries Animal Welfare Strategy – Research Snapshots,  November 30th  – Further details to be announced. Express interest on NAWRDES Webpage
  • The 11th Annual Robert Dixon Memorial Animal Welfare Symposium – Ensuring a ‘good life’ for layer hens in Australia. 22 September 2021 2 –4 pm AEST. (Univ Sydney)
  • 76th WAZA Annual Conference, virtual, 11-14 October. (Details)
  • 12th International Working Dog Conference, Oct. 12-14 (IWDC 2021)
  • 2nd Aggression in Dogs Conference, Oct. 22-24 (Loose Leash Academy O/S) Register
  • LIVEXchange, Nov 10 – 11. Darwin. (LIVEXchange)
  • Human-animal interaction before and since Covid-19: lessons & priorities 12 Nov 1 – 3 am AEST (Univ of York)
  • Australasian Pig Science Association Conference. Brisbane, 15 – 18 November. (APSA)
  • ISAE Online Regional Meeting (Africa/Australasia) 1 – 2 December. (Details)
  • 2nd Australian Biosecurity Symposium, Gold Coast, 1-3 December. Details.
  • World Aquaculture 2020, 5 – 8 December, Singapore (Details)
  • European Assn of Zoos and Aquaria first Animal Welfare Forum. 21 – 24 March 2022,The Netherlands. (EAZA)
  • Australian Association of Animal Sciences Conference. 5 – 7 July 2022. (AAAS2022)
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