NAWAC Annual Report Released

18 August 2006

NAWAC Annual Report Released

The 2005 National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) Annual Report was issued today.

Chairperson of NAWAC, Dr Peter O’Hara, said the bulk of the committee’s work focused on the conversion of earlier codes and provisions for castration and dehorning from the Animals Protection Act to the Painful Husbandry Procedures Code of Welfare.

This code, issued under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, covers all procedures that involve physical interference with sensitive tissues that are carried out for reasons other than the treatment of injuries or diseases. Dr O’Hara said that in each case, NAWAC determined that the welfare benefits of carrying out the procedure justified the pain and distress involved. However, NAWAC will sponsor a workshop to explore how pain relief might be used in the future.

Dr O’Hara acknowledges that drafting the codes is a time consuming and complex issue.

“A number of factors need to be taken into account such as the extensive public consultation process, which ensures the committee involves all sectors of the public before advising the Minister.”

NAWAC is an independent advisory committee to the Minister of Agriculture. The committee is established under section 56 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to provide advice to the Minister on matters relating to the welfare of animals in New Zealand and to develop codes of welfare.

Other codes currently underway include Cats, Commercial Slaughter, Deer, Dairy Cattle and Dogs.

A copy of the annual report is available at:
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/animal-welfare/nawac/annual-report/nawac-ar-05.pdf

ENDS

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