New legislation on animal welfare is on the cards

THE Namibian government is preparing a policy and new legislation aimed at offering protection to the country’s animals – from pets to livestock.

The new legislation will replace the outdated Animal Welfare Act of 1962. Experts from the health, agricultural and veterinary sectors discussed draft proposals on food safety, animal disease control and animal health in Windhoek last week.”Recent disease outbreaks affecting animals, plants and even human beings highlighted the importance of having sound national institutional and legal frameworks for effective responses and risk control,” said Moeketsi Mokati, representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Namibia.He said at the request of the Namibian government, the FAO has since 2004 provided assistance on technical and legal matters relating to animal health and food safety.This resulted in the drafting of new legislative proposals, including plant protection.He said the FAO’s overall objective was to support Namibia’s efforts to comply with international standards and agreements such as the Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).Dr Axel Hartmann, the national animal health consultant in Namibia, said the issue of animal welfare regarding livestock, during all stages of production, had recently become a central theme of concern internationally.”Animal welfare receives the same prominence as animal health,” said Hartmann.In his discussion paper which was presented at last week’s meeting, the animal health consultant recommended that the Namibian Government should first put a policy in place regarding animal health and animal product sanitation from which a new law would come.The paper contains a draft policy on animals, including household pets, which enables Government to take action against “all deliberate acts of cruelty or negligence perpetrated on animals”.The new law will also recognise the animals’ freedom from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, injury or disease and recognise the “freedom to express normal behaviour”.Proper housing for animals, treatment and management, responsible care and humane handling, are also included in the proposal document.Experts from the health, agricultural and veterinary sectors discussed draft proposals on food safety, animal disease control and animal health in Windhoek last week.”Recent disease outbreaks affecting animals, plants and even human beings highlighted the importance of having sound national institutional and legal frameworks for effective responses and risk control,” said Moeketsi Mokati, representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Namibia.He said at the request of the Namibian government, the FAO has since 2004 provided assistance on technical and legal matters relating to animal health and food safety.This resulted in the drafting of new legislative proposals, including plant protection.He said the FAO’s overall objective was to support Namibia’s efforts to comply with international standards and agreements such as the Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).Dr Axel Hartmann, the national animal health consultant in Namibia, said the issue of animal welfare regarding livestock, during all stages of production, had recently become a central theme of concern internationally.”Animal welfare receives the same prominence as animal health,” said Hartmann.In his discussion paper which was presented at last week’s meeting, the animal health consultant recommended that the Namibian Government should first put a policy in place regarding animal health and animal product sanitation from which a new law would come.The paper contains a draft policy on animals, including household pets, which enables Government to take action against “all deliberate acts of cruelty or negligence perpetrated on animals”.The new law will also recognise the animals’ freedom from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, injury or disease and recognise the “freedom to express normal behaviour”.Proper housing for animals, treatment and management, responsible care and humane handling, are also included in the proposal document.