The Ministry of Agriculture has decided to place surveillance cameras in slaughterhouses in Israel to prevent abuse to animals. The move is in response to allegations that have been backed up by video documentation citing animal abuse.

The new regulations will compel operators of slaughterhouses to place cameras in all areas animals are found till their slaughter. This will permit inspectors to monitor activities of slaughterhouses off site. Officials in the ministry are hopeful the presence of the cameras will serve as a deterrence to bring a halt to this unacceptable practice, adding the cameras will operate 24/7.

The program will result in the placement of 400 cameras and 50 digital recording systems in 50 slaughter houses. Supervisory personnel in a slaughterhouse will view the videos while the videos will also be fed to the ministry’s monitoring unit.

There have been a number of cases of animal abuse documented in Israel, but perhaps the most popular is the large Zoglovek Company,which was caught on camera for the second time in as many years.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)