This petition was submitted by The League Against Cruel Sports having collected a total of 5,287 signatures.

Text of Petition:                     

Millions of pheasants and partridges are estimated to be factory farmed in Wales each year so that they can be shot for ‘sport’. To breed them, tens of thousands of parent birds are confined to cages, often for much of their breeding lives. Cages are cruel and cause animals to suffer. The Welsh Government has previously indicated support for Wales to become a cage-free nation. We call for the Welsh Government to ban the use of cages to produce game birds.

Additional Information:

Life in a cage can lead to distress and injury, and doesn't fully allow for birds’ needs or natural behaviour. Their suffering can include painful open foot sores, stress-induced attacks and injury from repeated attempts to escape. To reduce problem behaviours linked to their captivity, such as pecking other birds, devices such as plastic bits forced into their nostrils can also be used.

Pheasants and partridges are semi-wild by nature, making the impact of cages all the greater. Yet they’re not even covered by the basic regulations granted to other farmed animals or routinely inspected. Investigations have revealed breaches of guidance such as repeated use of barren cages and dead pheasants left long enough in cages to be cannibalised. Even in cages described as ‘enriched’, there could be as little as a single shared perch, a plastic curtain and some astroturf.

Whether confined to barren or ‘enriched’ cages, game birds suffer. The Welsh Government has the power to end this practice.

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 07/02/2022.

The Committee noted that the Welsh Government have provided assurance regarding consulting stakeholders when they progress the review of the Code although they are unable to provide a specific timescale at present due to the impact of the Avian flu, Covid and Brexit. In light of the assurance from the Minister, the Committee agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.

Full details of the consideration of this petition by the Committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 26/01/2021.

Senedd Constituency and Region

• Cardiff North
• South Wales Central

Further information

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