Protesting 11 million layer hens still in battery cages
News
A protest was held outside NSW Parliament House calling on Adam Marshall, the NSW Agriculture Minister, to support a proposed phase-out of battery cages for hens.
Thank you to all of those supporters who gathered at the front of NSW Parliament House to hear from speakers including Animal Justice Party MLC, Emma Hurst, and Greens MLC Abigail Boyd, about the problem with battery cages in Australia.
We also unveiled new research revealing that more than 80 per cent of consumers are unaware that battery cages still exist in Australia, with no plans to phase them out.
Rochelle Flood from World Animal Protection Australia said:
“In Australia, there are 11 million hens kept in battery cages each year – a statistic that most of the public are unaware of. This new research highlights the need to raise further awareness among Australians, so we can send a clear message to politicians that the time has come to end the use of cruel battery cages.
Why did the chicken cross Macquarie Street?
As part of the day, demonstrators dressed as chickens, were confined to a cage outside Parliament to highlight the cruel conditions faced by millions of hens in battery cages across Australia. The “chickens” also “free ranged” around Macquarie Street and Martin Place to raise awareness of the issue among the public.
“The Australian government needs to take action to phase out battery cages, to avoid falling further behind nations who have already introduced regulations banning the practice. The European Union, New Zealand and some American states introduced battery cage phase outs in 2012, so Australia is lagging behind.
“It’s important our politicians realise that the public don’t want to see layer hens in cages. A better way is possible.”
– Rochelle Flood, Campaign Officer, World Animal Protection Australia
Australia’s state and federal agriculture ministers will meet early next year to consider an update to the standards and guidelines for poultry which have not been updated since the early 2000s. The current draft includes a phase-out of battery cages and NSW, as the major egg-producing state, is crucial to ensuring it is adopted.
Thank you again for joining us to move the world to protect animals.
We also unveiled new research revealing that more than 80 per cent of consumers are unaware that battery cages still exist in Australia, with no plans to phase them out.