The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee met on May 26th to agree amendments to Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill.
Apart from some admirable proposals, such as extending protections to animals such as octopodes, crabs and lobsters (Colin Smyth), lawmakers are missing the point completely.
The flaw running through the whole structure is welfare legislation is often not enforced in the first place.
It can be extremely difficult to get Police Scotland to accept the reporting of an offence, and if they do, often no action is taken.
If action is taken there’s no assurance that Procurators Fiscal will pursue a prosecution. If they do, most offenders walk from court either simply admonished, or with a limited “ban” which almost certainly will not be monitored.
This is the fundamental issue. If law isn’t even enforced, the legislation’s effectively useless.
What our politicians plans amount to is the suggestion that if you fit a brand new exhaust to a car with no engine, it’ll make it go faster.
Stage 3 is next, and this is the last chance we’ll have to actually make effective change to the Bill.
Please take a couple of minutes to contact your MSPs and ask that they commit to supporting Scotland for Animals five points for change;
Your voice can make the difference.
Since Coronavirus outbreak was deemed a national emergency, those involved in the slaughter and butchering of animals have been officially designated “Critical Workers”.
“Essential” to the functioning of society.
In the same category as nurses, midwives, paramedics, doctors.
We can’t go on like this.
UK death toll – April 2020
113 million, 25 thousand+ animals slaughtered.
209 thousand+ cattle
984 thousand+ sheep
932 thousand+ pigs
110 million, 900 thousand+ “poultry” birds
Does not include other species such as deer, goats, horses, “game birds”, aquatic animals or animals exported for killing.
*Source; UK Government