Janice R. Andrews
Scotland has the potential to become the first region in the UK to outlaw the practise of egg producers keeping hens in cages, therefore making history. A ground-breaking consultation on prohibiting the use of cages to house hens used in egg production has been announced by the Scottish government.
Jim Fairlie, the minister of agriculture, stressed that imposing such a restriction would establish Scotland as a pioneer in raising standards for animal welfare. The goal of the proposed ban is to address the widespread usage of “enriched cages,” which confine birds and limit their natural activities even though they are an improvement over battery cages.
A number of possibilities are suggested in the consultation, such as prohibiting the installation of new cages starting in 2033 and outlawing the keeping of birds in enriched cages entirely starting in 2034. A proposal to hasten the ban has also been put out, which would forbid the use of enriched cages starting in 2030.
Additionally, a non-regulatory strategy is being considered, which calls on retailers and caterers to pledge to stop using and selling eggs from chickens housed in enriched cages by 2034.
Minister Fairlie emphasized Scotland’s dedication to animal welfare, pointing to the government’s most recent initiative and the public’s desire for goods obtained responsibly. He emphasized that this program is in line with the EU’s plan to gradually phase out the use of cages for any livestock raised in agriculture.
Mark Borthwick, policy manager at World Animal Protection, praised Scotland’s move and called for prompt action, pointing up that other nations have already taken firm action to outlaw or gradually phase out laying hen systems kept in cages.
The proposed prohibition demonstrates Scotland’s commitment to spearheading the advancement of animal welfare standards and represents a substantial change towards more humane practices in animal husbandry.
