FVE is of the opinion that from an animal welfare point of view, and out of respect for an animal as a sentient being, the practice of slaughtering animals without prior stunning is unacceptable under any circumstances, for the following reasons:
– Slaughter without stunning increases the time to loss of consciousness,
sometimes up to several minutes;
– During this period of consciousness the animal can be exposed to unnecessary pain and suffering;
– Slaughter without prior stunning requires in most cases additional restraint,
which may cause additional stress to an animal that is almost certainly already frightened.
FVE calls on policy makers to stop the excessive use of slaughter without stunning as a
priority.
As long as slaughter without stunning is permitted for religious reasons, we believe that any meat or meat products from these sources should be clearly labelled to enable all consumers to make an informed choice based on welfare, ethics or personal belief when purchasing such products.
FVE feels it is important to differentiate between ‘religious’ and ‘non-stun’ slaughter. Our concern has nothing to do with the expression of religious belief but with the practice of killing by throat cutting without pre-stunning. FVE therefore advocate that labelling should refer to non-stun slaughter rather than a method of religious slaughter.