In times of trouble and emergency, when we’re all facing unprecedented challenges, pain and hardship, the animals suffer badly as well. And what does the Ministry of Agriculture, which is responsible for the animal protection law, do to face the situation? It uses it to promote moves that further harm the animals.
So what else has the Ministry of Agriculture done tese past two years?
part 2
Enforcing the animal protection law: during 2024, the Ministry has shown an all time low of enforcing the law: in the whole of 2024 it sanctioned less than 10 fines and filed only two indictments, despite hundreds of complaints made.
Live transports: at the very beginning of the Iron Swords was the Houthis blocked the access to Israel via the Red Sea. Goods delivered by sea from Australia had to go all way around Africa to reach Israel. The Ministry of Agriculture, in response, allows for unprecedentedly long live transports to Israel all the way around Africa.
Animal suffering during transport: even as the transport ships arrive to Israel, the agonizing journey of the calves and lambs doesn’t come to an end. Following a petition we filed in 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture suggested and amendment to the animal protection regulations regarding transporting animals on land. But instead of these regulations improving the conditions, the Ministry wishes to up the max temperature allowed during long hauls from 32 degrees to 35, due to the climate change, to which the meat industry is a major contributor.
Animal suffering in slaughterhouses: the animal protection law stipulated that until 2016 the Minister of Agriculture was to submit regulations to reduce the suffering in slaughterhouses up for the approval of the Knesset. As no progress was done, we filed a petition in 2023 to the Supreme Court to order the Minister take action and push the regulations forward. Two years have passed and nothing has been done.
Animal suffering in the fish industry: despite the enormity of suffering and death in the fish industry, the Ministry of Agriculture sticks to its plans to massively expand the fish factory farms and invests public funds in experimental moves of keeping fish in cramped cages on land, as well as plans to build cages in the Mediterranean, which have cause tremendous environmental damages in the past. Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture has failed to meet the government’s decision to put in place regulations for the protection of fish.
Allocating budgets for the reduction of roaming animals, late: the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for budgets for reducing the overpopulation of stray dogs and cats – 9 million ILS per year in total. This year, once again only after our petition, the budgets supporting spaying and neutering of cats was released only in July. And the protocol for budget supporting the reduction of overpopulation of dogs has still not been released. Despite the delays, the supports are still being done with no orderly scientific plan.
