Millions of animals are suffering unnecessarily by being slaughtered without stunning to meet religious demands.
That's why we campaign to end religious exemptions to animal welfare laws.
Animal welfare law requires animals to be stunned before slaughter to minimise their pain, suffering and distress. The only exemption is for Jewish and Muslim communities to meet kosher and halal religious dietary preferences.
The scientific consensus is clear that it is more humane to stun an animal prior to slaughter. The slaughter of animals without pre-stunning is permitted in the UK despite a recommendation by the government's own advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), that the practice should be banned. FAWC concluded that animals slaughtered without pre-stunning are likely to experience "very significant pain and distress".
RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and the British Veterinary Association all support an end to non-stun slaughter to improve animal welfare at the time of death.
- 70% of Brits think stunning animals before slaughtering them is more ethical.
- 72% of the population think food produced from religious non-stun slaughter methods should be clearly labelled.
We support the right to religious freedom. But this is not an absolute right. Religious exemptions shouldn't be made to laws meant to prevent unnecessary animal cruelty.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to end the religious exemption that allows animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Britain risks becoming a ‘hotbed of non-stun slaughter’, warns NSS
Posted: Fri, 15 Feb 2019 10:30
The National Secular Society has warned the government against turning the UK into "a hotbed of non-stun halal slaughter" after it emerged that a large proportion of non-stun sheep meat is exported.
Figures from Food Standards Agency (FSA) 2018 slaughterhouse survey reveal that in 2018, over 94 million cattle, sheep and poultry were slaughtered without being stunned first in England and Wales.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of sheep meat that was not stunned before slaughter was exported from the UK. According to the British Veterinary Association, this equates to around 750,000 sheep being slaughtered without prior stunning per year for consumption outside the UK.
Animal welfare legislation requires all animals to be stunned before slaughter in order to minimise suffering. The only exemption is for religious communities to meet Jewish and Muslim religious dietary preferences.
The shechita (Jewish) method of slaughter is exclusively non-stun in the UK while halal slaughter is comprised of both stun and non-stun methods of slaughter.
The latest FSA figures reveal that the majority of sheep slaughtered in England and Wales (71%) are slaughtered by a halal method (both stun and non- stun). According to the Office for National Statistics, around 5% of the UK population is Muslim.
The government has said it would "prefer all animals to be pre-stunned before slaughter on welfare grounds, but it observes the rights of religious communities".
In August last year, the NSS criticised a £25m export agreement to supply 50,000 lambs killed without stunning to Saudi Arabia, warning it would "normalise the mistreatment of animals". The government has since announced a further £6m deal to sell sheep meat to India.
Stephen Evans, the NSS's chief executive, said: "All animals must be stunned before slaughter, without exception. For as long as a derogation exists, the export of animals that have been slaughtered without stunning should be prohibited.
"The fact that the religious exemption compromises animal welfare in the UK is unacceptable in itself. It is further concerning that the exemption is being abused to boost the UK's halal non-stun slaughter industry. This certainly goes against the spirit of the exemption, if not the letter of it. Becoming a hotbed of non-stun slaughter would not be a good look for post-Brexit Britain."
Earlier this week NSS honorary associate Kerry McCarthy MP asked a minister what effect the UK's recent agreement with Saudi Arabia would have on the number of animals slaughtered without prior stunning. David Rutley, from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, gave an evasive answer.
In response to the figures the British Veterinary Association and Compassion in World Farming have also called on the government to stop exporting non-stun meat while the religious exemption to the animal welfare laws exists. Both bodies also said ending non-stun slaughter entirely would be preferable.
Earlier this month the BVA and animal welfare group the RSPCA published an open letter to the government calling for the end of non-stun slaughter.
A number of other European states, including Holland and Germany, have explicitly prohibited the export of animals that were killed without stunning.
Countries that ban slaughter without any form of stunning include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden.
Animal welfare groups ask government to end non-stun slaughter
Posted: Fri, 8 Feb 2019 12:45
Animal welfare advocates are urging the environment secretary to repeal an exemption which allows animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning for religious reasons.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and the British Veterinary Association (BVA) have made the call in an open letter to Michael Gove.
The letter, which the groups are urging members of the public to sign, says: "All animals should be stunned before slaughter. No exceptions.
"Scientific evidence clearly indicates that slaughter without pre-stunning can cause unnecessary suffering.
"The level of restraint required to hold an animal still, expose the throat, and perform an effective neck cut is typically greater than that needed for stunned slaughter. When the neck cut is performed it triggers a barrage of sensory information to the brain in the conscious animal."
Official figures have revealed that over 120m animals were slaughtered without being pre-stunned between October 2017 and September 2018 – more than three animals slaughtered every second on average.
The welfare groups' letter also says that while the exemption exists the government should take a series of steps to mitigate the harm it causes. These include a requirement to stun cattle, sheep, goats and deer after they are cut to reduce their suffering and the introduction of method of slaughter labelling on meat and fish.
They also include the end of exports of non-stun meat, measures to ensure supply meets demand and measures to improve transparency.
The letter also calls on the government to release the results of a comprehensive survey of slaughterhouses form the Food Standards Agency (FSA) "without delay". The results were due for release in autumn 2018.
The survey provides detailed information on the number of animals in England and Wales slaughtered with non-stun methods and includes data on the level of exports.
BVA president Simon Doherty said: "The UK government has repeatedly stated it would prefer to see all animals stunned before slaughter but has taken no action to address this critical welfare issue that affects millions of animals every year.
"It is doubly disappointing that data that would have provided a valuable benchmark for levels of non-stun slaughter in the UK has yet to see the light of day despite assurances throughout last year that it would soon be made public.
"There is a huge groundswell of support for a ban on non-stun slaughter, and recent developments in Belgium show that decisive change is possible where public support is matched by political will. Michael Gove has made clear that he wants to maintain and build on the UK's reputation as global leader on animal welfare; banning non-stun slaughter is a surefire way of showing he will deliver on this commitment.
"If slaughter without stunning continues to be permitted in the UK, then meat and fish from this source must be clearly labelled, to help customers make informed choices about the food that they buy and eat."
RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: "Our concern does not relate to the expression of religious belief but the welfare of animals.
"Until there is a change in the law to end non-stun slaughter, there are several measures the UK government could introduce to reduce the suffering involved in this practice."
The letter raises similar concerns to those which the National Secular Society outlined in a letter to the government in November 2018. The NSS called for the repeal of the religious exemption to the animal welfare laws and a requirement to label non-stun meat while the exemption is in place.
Responding to the RSPCA and BVA's letter, NSS spokesperson Chris Sloggett said the government should "listen to the informed opinion of experts on the subject".
"Once again we are reminded that the scientific evidence shows that non-stun slaughter is inhumane. The government should listen to those who know what they are talking about. Vets and scientists' views on animal welfare should take priority over the concerns of clerics.
"The religious exemption to the animal welfare laws should be repealed. Short of that, there are several steps – particularly method of slaughter labelling – which could increase transparency, improve consumer confidence and stem the supply of non-stun meat.
"The RSPCA and BVA's sole concern is understandably animal welfare, and they have the weight of evidence on their side. But we would also add that this is an issue of one law for all. The general restriction on non-stun slaughter is a reasonable law, so it should apply equally to everyone."
The most up-to-date figures show that 11% of poultry were slaughtered without pre-stunning between October 2017 and September 2018. That figure remains substantially higher than it was in 2013, when it stood at three per cent.
Twenty-five per cent of sheep and goats and one per cent of cattle were slaughtered without stunning.
The NSS wrote to the environment secretary to express concern about the sharp rise in the number of animals being subjected to non-stun slaughter in October 2017.
In October 2018 the NSS revealed that at least 17 councils across the UK supply non-stunned halal meat to at least 140 schools.
The RSPCA and BVA's letter has drawn a backlash from the kosher meat industry. Shimon Cohen, the campaign director of Shechita UK, accused the groups of sounding like a "cracked record".
His remarks strike a contrast with his words last month, when he said animal welfare groups' welcoming of legislation to end non-stun slaughter in parts of Belgium was "understandable". Those comments came as a preface to criticism of secularist and humanist campaigners who had also welcomed the legislation.
