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Fishing is one of the most popular outdoor activities. It offers quality time in nature and the opportunity to catch your own food. But it’s important to remember that fish are sentient beings who can feel pain and stress. A responsible fisher ensures the fish is killed quickly and humanely. Pain and stress affect the…

The Finnish Centre for Animal Welfare (EHK) has published the Animal Welfare in Finland III report also in English, offering a comprehensive update on the state of animal welfare in Finland. Previously published in parts on the elaintieto.fi website (2021-2023, in Finnish), this report builds upon its predecessors (published in 2012 and 2016), providing valuable…

Finland has joined other EU countries in implementing the mandatory identification and registration of dogs. The identification and registration are laid down in the updated decree (68/2022) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and it has prompted some attention in the Finnish media. This new obligation brings both benefits and efforts, but the mandatory…

Gene editing, which has grown fast in the field of genetic technology, raises ethical questions. Is gene editing any more legitimate than any other method previously used to edit animal genomes? The issue prompted consideration by Penny Hawkins, head of the Animals in Science section of the British Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty…

Reindeer are semi-domesticated animals that live all their life outdoors. They are not accustomed to human handling and find it stressful. According to the Norwegian scientists, the modern reindeer are no longer as tame as some decades ago. However, reindeer are handled and transported, for example, to summer and winter pastures, as well as for…

The recent Wild Animal Welfare Seminar (October 2019) combined two topics seldom linked together: animal welfare on individual level and wildlife on population and species level. An international entourage of speakers presented their research findings and reflections on the welfare of wild animals. The presentations are now available online on our YouTube channel. New viewpoints…

In september 2019, EU agriculture ministers visited Finland and chief veterinary officers had a meeting at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki. Topics of the dairy farm visit in a group of ministers of ​​over 200 people included animal welfare and health, as well as responsible use of antibiotics in animals. The meeting of the chief veterinary…

Among Finnish consumers there is a growing interest in animal-friendly products and a quality packing label for ethical production. There are plenty of farmers, slaughterhouses, companies and retailers that already have possibilities and interest to develop a label that ensures high animal welfare standard. A label telling about animal welfare The project for developing a…

Tail docking is a common practice in most EU countries to reduce tail biting in pigs. Tail biting causes pigs pain and stress but, more importantly, it indicates underlying welfare problems. In a few European countries, such as in Finland, tail docking is forbidden by the national animal welfare act.