Ban on animal markets and home slaughter: Minister Weyts revises 40-year-old animal law | InstagramHLN

According to the N-VA minister, Flanders plays “a pioneering role” in the field of animal welfare with the codex. “This is a milestone for animal policy,” says Weyts. “We literally completely rewrote the code. In this way we will be able to effectively avoid a lot of avoidable animal suffering.”

The codex, which replaces the existing Animal Welfare Act, is based on the vision that every animal is a living being with feelings, specific needs and intrinsic value. It follows that animals must be adequately protected. Anyone who does not do this and is negligent towards an animal can be punished for the first time. Organizers of folk customs such as beating cocks, riding geese or drinking fish are not exempted: they must also respect animal welfare and adapt their practice if necessary.

The minister also wants to put an end to certain practices. The current chicken cages must be exchanged for free range aviary systems, people are no longer allowed to slaughter sheep, goats or pigs at home, animal markets must no longer take place, glue traps and any sexual act with animals must be banned and pasture animals must be able to make permanent use of shelter. From now on, every slaughterhouse must have a camera, animals caught in the wild may not be kept, and someone in every police zone must be designated as responsible for animal welfare.

The file was approved last Friday at the Council of Ministers and is now going to the Flemish Parliament.

READ ALSO. Animal rights organization summons minister Weyts: “Large-scale Eastern European bread breeding is favored in Flanders”