CCTV required in meat industry

IN HIS article on the horsemeat scandal (News, 17 February), Richard Lochhead MSP suggests major retailers were complacent in policing suppliers of meat products.

We elect politicians to protect our interests. An important part of that is to set and police standards for farming and food supply. As Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment at the Scottish Government, Mr Lochhead has responsibility for this in Scotland.

Animal Concern have been lobbying to have CCTV made compulsory in the livestock industry. Our argument is that cameras can be used to monitor animal welfare and product hygiene from farm to supermarket fridge. Technology makes it possible for enforcement agencies to inspect all aspects of food production at the tap of a computer key. Knowing they are under observation would encourage those working in the industry to adopt the highest standards of animal welfare and food hygiene.

Scotland had the chance to introduce compulsory CCTV monitoring this year with the implementation of EU regulations on the welfare of animals at time of slaughter. When I raised this last autumn during a government event, a civil servant told the meeting that before the consultation process had started Richard Lochhead had decided the use of CCTV would not be considered.

Last year Richard Lochhead was lobbying the EU for increased catch quotas for Scottish fishermen while senior members of the Scottish fishing industry were pleading guilty in court to frauds involving the landing of 170,000 of tonnes of over-quota fish at Peterhead and Lerwick.

Mr Lochhead and Alex Salmond have also been busy selling farmed Scottish salmon to the Chinese without doing anything to evaluate the potential damage a huge and sudden increase in factory fish farming will cause to the Scottish marine environment.

I trust the next comment piece from Richard Lochhead will be on his hobby of throwing stones while sitting in his greenhouse.

John F Robins, For Animal Concern