The UK's largest veterinary group has urged the government to confirm whether British lamb exported under a new trade deal with Saudi Arabia will be stunned before slaughter.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has called on the government to "urgently clarify" whether home-grown lamb will be stunned before slaughter.
Defra has not yet clarified if it will be, and in April 2018 the department stated that it did not hold data on what percentage of meat from non-stun religious slaughter is exported.
The veterinary group believes that all exported meat should come from animals that have been stunned before slaughter.
However, it says there is "current ambiguity" around the details of the trade deal, which UK halal certification bodies it will involve and whether the meat that will be exported will come from stun or non-stun sources.
In the UK and Europe all animals must be stunned before slaughter, but there is a derogation for animals killed for religious purposes.
BVA said it "strongly believes" that this derogation should only apply to meet the needs of the local community.
In Germany, for example, the law states that produce from non-stun slaughter cannot be exported.
'Unnecessary pain'
BVA President, John Fishwick said the group welcomes new trade deals that demonstrate the quality of UK agriculture.
However, he said the UK must not compromise on animal welfare. "Animals slaughtered without stunning suffer unnecessary pain at the time of death," Mr Fishwick said.
“If non-stun slaughter is permitted under the derogation in the UK it should only be available for local communities and not for export.
“We have raised these issues directly with the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, and have asked for clarity on whether or not meat for export is stunned in accordance with the UK’s high animal welfare legislation.
Mr Fishwick added: “BVA is calling for an end to all non-stun slaughter, but while it is still permitted we would like to see new laws to ban export of non-stun meat such as those in Germany.”
The comments by the BVA follow news of Lancashire County Council voting to allow only stunned halal meat to be provided to schools in the county, citing animal welfare concerns.
According to AHDB Beef & Lamb, the growing domestic market for Halal sheep meat presents a "significant opportunity" for the farming industry.
