Welfare of Calves at Markets Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Made: 3rd June 1998

Coming into operation: 27th July 1998

The Department of Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 2(1) of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 1972[^f00001] and of every other power enabling it in that behalf and after consultation with such persons appearing to it to represent any interests concerned as it considered appropriate, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Welfare of Calves at Markets Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 and shall come into operation on 27th July 1998.

Interpretation

2

In these Regulations—

• “calf” means a bovine animal under 9 months of age; and

• “market” means a market place, sale-yard or any other premises or place to which animals are brought from any other place for selling and includes any lairage or parking area adjoining a market and used in connection with it.

Restrictions on bringing calves to a market

3

A person shall not bring to a market a calf which—

• (a) is less than 7 days old;

• (b) has an unhealed navel;

• (c) is less than 12 weeks old and which has been brought to a market on more than one occasion in the previous 28 days; or

• (d) is more than 12 weeks old and which has been brought to a market on more than one occasion in the previous 28 days, where bringing that calf to a market is likely to cause it unnecessary pain or distress.

Removal of calves from a market

4

Where any calf which is less than 12 weeks old is kept in a market on any day, the owner or his duly authorised agent, shall remove that calf from the market within 4 hours of the time when the last transaction involving the sale of a calf has taken place in that market.

Offences

5

A person who contravenes any provision of these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence under section 2 of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 1972.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture on

R. S. Johnston — Assistant Secretary — 3rd June 1998.

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations make provision for the welfare of calves at markets by requiring that only calves which are at least 7 days old and which do not have unhealed navels are brought to market (regulation 3(a) and (b)) and set a limit on the number of times that a calf aged less than twelve weeks may be brought to market within 28 days (regulation 3(c)). A calf aged more than 12 weeks may only be brought to market on more than one occasion within 28 days where such movement is not likely to cause that calf unnecessary pain or distress (regulation 3(d)).

The Regulations impose a duty on the owner of any calf aged up to 12 weeks kept at a market to ensure that it is removed from the market within 4 hours of the last sale of calves (regulation 4). Regulation 5 provides that any breach of the provisions of the Regulations is an offence under section 2 of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 1972. A person guilty of an offence under that section is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale (currently £2,500) or both.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1972 c. 7 (N.I.) as amended by S.I. 1994/1891 (N.I. 6) Article 10