Mexico - Colima Enacts Law to Protect Farmed Animals.

By Dulce Ramírez @ 2024-07-16T16:48 (+1)

Dear Friends/Queridos Amigos,

On July 11th, Colima, Mexico, passed a bill mandating the inclusion of a farmed animal welfare section in their animal protection law. This new section includes the following provisions:

• Prohibits forced molting through fasting: Molting must be conducted with a proper diet.
• Prioritizes animal health and welfare: This will avoid traits that may cause significant harm, potentially leading to a future ban on breeding fast-growing chickens for meat.
• Regulates painful interventions: Procedures such as dehorning, tail docking, and castration must be performed by trained personnel under veterinary supervision and only when necessary.
• Guarantees access to adequate food and water for all animals.
• Requires environmental enrichment: This includes providing sufficient dark time for rest and adequate light.
• Establishes guidelines for natural disaster management, including evacuation protocols when necessary.
• Mandates specific conditions for chicken production: The density must not exceed 30 kg per square meter, allowing access to food and water and enabling animals to move and change posture naturally.
• Regulates cage-free egg production: This state regulation opens debate and facilitates the transition.
• Alongside the same representative, we will present the alignment of the General Law of Adequate and Sustainable Nutrition so that plant-based workshops and commitments to reducing animal-based ingredients become part of the Colima government's public policies.

In the state of Colima, approximately 9 million farmed animals, most of them chickens, are raised and killed for food annually. This legislation marks the second time an animal protection law in Mexico includes a chapter specifically for farmed animals. While there are regulations for transporting and slaughtering animals, there were no laws to protect animals on farms—until now.

Timeline: The initiative was presented in January 2024 and approved on July 11th, 2024.

Who: Animal Equality in Mexico, in coordination with Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (MORENA), the major political party.

Successful Tactics: Campaigns and political lobbying.

Best regards,