CCTV to Be Made Mandatory in All Abattoirs in England
CCTV will be mandatory in all abattoirs in England under new plans announced today by the environment secretary.
The campaign to introduce CCTV was led by Animal Aid and supported by PETA, and under the new plan, footage would be accessible to the Food Standards Agency’s official veterinarians, who are responsible for monitoring animal-welfare violations at abattoirs.
Countless eyewitness investigations have shown animals in abattoirs being kicked, punched, sexually molested, and otherwise assaulted before being killed.
While mandatory CCTV is a good first step that may prevent the worst cases of abuse – as long as the footage is watched by someone who will take action against the perpetrators – it won’t stop the terror and routine abuse that animals endure during the extraordinarily cruel process of industrialised meat production. More importantly, it also won’t stop the industry from killing animals – individuals who value and fight for their lives – to please some humans’ taste buds. PETA supporter Paul McCartney famously said this:
“If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian.”
We encourage people to see for themselves what happens to countless sensitive, terrified animals out of public view – because once you do, the decision to leave animals off your plate becomes easy.
