Good for goldfish, not for cod

[Mr T.]

Good for goldfish, not for cod
By Charles Clover
(Filed: 24/11/2004)

Animal welfare [from the Queen's Speech - Opening of Parliament]

Goldfish will be banned as fairground prizes, tail-docking of dogs halted in most circumstances and children under 16 prohibited from buying pets.

The Animal Welfare Bill will extend a "duty of care" to all vertebrate animals that are permanently domesticated or in human charge.

This duty, which has applied to farm animals since 1968, will make it an offence not only to cause suffering but also to keep an animal in such a way that if circumstances do not change it is likely to suffer - for example being locked in a hot car on a sunny day.

An animal's welfare is defined as consisting of a suitable environment, provision of adequate food and water, the ability to display normal behaviour, housing with its own species and appropriate treatment for pain and disease.

The docking of dogs' tails and other "mutilations" would be banned with exceptions only where there were welfare or management reasons.

Pet owners and farmers convicted of failing in their duty of care may be disqualified from owning animals.

A Marine Conservation Bill was the only domestic pledge in Tony Blair's keynote speech on the environment and climate change this autumn, but it does not appear in the Queen's Speech.

It would have implemented some of the 300 recommendations of the review of the fishing industry and made it possible for large reserves to be created at sea as required under European law.

Tim Yeo, the Tory environment spokesman, said he was "deeply disappointed" that the Bill had been dropped.