While my submissions to the select committee were too hot to handle the select committee did accept advice from Maf which led them to report “Some of us are concerned that there are only five full-time Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry inspectors in New Zealand to undertake prosecutions for animal cruelty and there are insufficient resources to pursue all cases of cruelty, with 92 percent of complaints made to the SPCA.”
I have previously commented on this , and decided to make an official information act request which came back today
This is what the director general of MAF reported back
“ There are currently 441 animal welfare inspectors and auxiliary officers appointed under the animal welfare act , on a range of dates between 2007-2010 as follows
95 inspectors and 54 auxiliary officers appointed on the recommendation of the Royal New Zealand SPCA.
9 inspectors appointed on the recommendation of AWINZ
29 animal welfare investigators employed by MAF
254 animal welfare investigators employed by the NZFSA “
I have since found a document produced By the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry dated which states
“The Government announced on 25 March 2010 that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and
the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) will be amalgamated to form a single agency, which
will begin with the establishment of a single legal entity on 1 July 2010.”
It goes on to say the following
Animal Welfare: Besides the intrinsic value associated with animal welfare (that is, protecting animals from harm), it is also becoming an increasingly important aspect in international trade and for gaining market access. We will work to increase the attention paid to animal welfare by the primary sector, supported by a greater effort going into education, compliance and enforcement activities.
What I would like to know is why was this information not before the select committee why did the select committee believe that there are only 5 full time animal welfare inspectors when there are in reality so many more?
Any one wishing the a copy of the full OIA reply can email me grace at Verisure .co.nz
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