Sheepskins Animal Waste Act 2003
Nicki Port (Organic Sheepskins) reports that the value of tanned skins makes an important contribution to the financial wellbeing of many owners of endangered native breeds. Organic Sheepskins tannery is situated on an agricultural holding, and is experiencing an increasing demand for its ‘green products’, but the farming industry is facing an increasing burden of ‘red tape’, of which the Animal Waste Act 2003 was a symptom.
The Animal Waste Act 2003 was a severe impediment to many producers who were in the process of recovering from the devastation of FMD in 2001. The Act stated that “No animal skin will be returned to an agricultural holding”.
Strong representations from the tanners, with support from RBST and NSA, succeeded in achieving a change in legislation not only in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2005, and Wales in 2006, but also throughout the EU.
IT IS NOW LEGAL FOR ANIMAL SKINS TO BE RETURNED TO AN AGRICULTURAL HOLDING. OWNERS SHOULD REQUIRE THEM TO BE RETURNED.
The long interval between the enactment of the Animal Waste Act in March 2003 and the changes in the law in September 2005 and in Wales, 2006, resulted in many sheep and goat keepers ceasing to keep livestock as their enterprises were not viable in the absence of income from skins.
Abattoirs also were not always helpful, and some owners still have not understood that they can have their skins returned. Some abattoirs and butchers still are still refusing to return skins to owners. In some cases this may be because they have not understood the most recent legislation, or it may be because they have diverted the skins to fill export contracts to countries such as China. Others are demanding a ‘license’, which is a “Commercial Document for the transport of Category 3 hide/skins under Animal By-Products Regulations 2005”. This can be downloaded from the Defra website or obtained from the local Animal Health office, in the same way as movement licenses, but very few abattoirs keep them.
It is essential to check that the abattoir will allow the return of skins, with or without documents, BEFORE they are booked in. If anyone is refused the return of their skins, the animals should be booked in somewhere that will return the skins and then contact Nicki Port 01989 730615 with the name, location and the telephone number of the abattoir that would not comply and she will contact the appropriate person in Defra.