campaign

Animal Rights
When animal welfare is natural

The deputy leader of the Labour party, Joe Brincat, is as well known for his love of animals as for his political career. Today he tells MIRIAM DUNN what he believes can be done to improve animal rights in Malta and the challenges NGOs and the authorities face along the way

He is well known for his love of animals, has been a vegetarian for over a decade and shares the concern voiced by a number of animal rights’ activists that any new legislation in this sphere could end up being nothing more than a piece of paper if not implemented in the right way.

The deputy leader of the Labour party, Joe Brincat, who traces his love of animals back to the days he spent in Burmarrad with his grandfather - a herdsman - believes that just as important as new legislation on animal rights is educating the public.

Dr Brincat, who has three dogs and once saved a horse from the slaughterhouse by taking it in exchange for professional fees, knows only too well that legislation alone is not always enough to change a situation.

"I remember how, in 1980, as Justice Minister, I introduced the first closed season for hunting of birds of passage," he recalls. "During the summer I went to Gozo, and in a particular village the 'festa' was being celebrated.

"To raise funds, the Parish Priest had organised a lottery, the prize being a shotgun. This was being carried around by an altar boy. The Parish Priest was jubilant in his festive regalia, while selling tickets, as I watched. A policeman was standing a few steps away from me and I said to him: ‘With police officers with your thinking, it is absolutely senseless to enact laws! Don't you know that shotguns can only be carried by people who hold a licence, and a boy of 12 can never have a licence?’ "

Dr Brincat, who says it is his ambition to have a small, unpretentious farm and keep a few sheep, believes the NGOs have a role to play in publicising new legislation.

"In the field of animal welfare legislation, the speed of regulation is of the essence," he said. "It may be technical and directed at particular circumstances or species or situations. Such unforeseen circumstances need to be addressed as one comes across them, and speedily."

I ask Dr Brincat how he feels about whether the NGOs are under-funded.

"One must be careful, as resources are always scarce," he answers. "If the funds are wasted, then the animals do not benefit from them. I would like to see more contributions from individuals, even very small contributions from children, to welfare groups. And accounts should be monitored independently from the organisations to dispel any suspicion that the money is not reaching its final beneficiary."

And does he agree with the NGOs that the government should be focusing on a national neutering programme?

"I have my reservations about this," he replies. "I always prefer a whole animal as created by the One above. For example, I didn’t put my name on a waiting list for a vasectomy!"

I am interested to know whether Dr Brincat thinks that education and enforcement are important in equal measure where animal welfare is concerned and if he thinks we are doing enough of either.

"Education is the most important," he says. "Enforcement can depend on too many factors, including the lack of commitment of the enforcement officer, who can become indifferent or even callous when confronted with so many situations."

Dr Brincat highlights the sterling work done by the NGOs and also individuals in the field of animal welfare.

"Those who work in the field of animal welfare are generally volunteers, but there are so many who are not even in an organisation and are fully committed," he says. "Luckily, television has also had a positive, educational impact. People who watch programmes about nature are influenced for the better. Sometimes viewers are shocked to learn that animals have such tender sentiments and instincts."

The MLP deputy leader expresses his satisfaction that the recent RSPCA International conference brought together so many organisations catering for animal welfare.

"This shows how we have moved ahead from the time when all the difficult relationships between the groups were highlighted in letters in the press," he says.

Dr Brincat explains that in his speech at the conference, he placed great emphasis on animal rights rather than welfare, believing it is important to move people away from this mindset.

"Once the concept of animal rights becomes entrenched, not in a constitution, but in the minds of individuals, then animal welfare follows naturally," is his philosophy.

On the subject of the new legislation planned, Dr Brincat says he can only really comment on what the Labour party had proposed.

"On the MLP side we presented a draft for public comments and there were several NGOs who made their comments and suggestions," he says. "When the final draft was then approved internally, we tried to include all possible suggestions compatible within the framework of that legislation."

He points out that animal welfare legislation is being updated in all countries.

"The Labour party followed the New Zealand law which was enacted at the beginning of January last year," he explains. "The European models, especially the German one, are equivalent in several respects but there are always the differences that naturally come from the commercial thinking and the humane thinking between one legislation and another. That is why we opted for the New Zealand legislation."

He believes one important step that the MLP took was listing a number of rights that belong to animals.

"There was criticism from some that animals do not have rights," he says. "But the truth is that there are basic rights which belong in principle to sentient living beings compatible with their very nature."