26 January 2015
Jersey’s animal welfare law is to be updated to reflect modern conservation work practices.
In a recent Ministerial Decision, the Planning and Environment Minister, Deputy Steve Luce, has agreed to changes to the Animal Welfare (Jersey) Law 2004 to bring it into line with modern practice.
Under the revised law, the Minister will be able to grant a named organisation a licence to carry out certain minor procedures on animals to provide important information about minority species. This work is necessary because there are no established standards for rare or endangered species.
Conservation blood samples
For example, the current law doesn’t allow vets to take a blood sample for any reason other than a veterinary diagnosis or monitoring. So organisations carrying out conservation work with animals are not allowed to take blood samples to establish what would be normal for an animal of this species, weight and age.
By establishing what is normal, particularly for a rare creature, the organisation can build up a clearer picture of how best to care for and conserve other endangered animals of this species and type.
Following the Ministerial Decision to update the law, organisations working with minority species can apply for permission to carry out minor procedures on animals that will lead to an overall benefit for the future management and survival of the species, or conservation work in general.
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