Are we ahead of, or behind the times?

“It is time to heed the constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives,” the US Supreme Court ruling said, which passed by six votes to three.

Some US states will now enact laws similar to the ones we have in Malta where the unborn child is protected very significantly and others will have ones similar to those they have in some parts of the world, where the choices of the mother are absolute. The US Supreme Court ruling, however, highlights that the issue of the rights of the unborn child within this unique moral situation is certainly not a settled matter.

The recent unfortunate case of Andrea Prudente has brought accusations that Malta is behind the times, even though we boast zero maternal mortalities in the 10 years. This is very significant: no pregnant woman (or within 42 days of being pregnant) has died as a result of her pregnancy and, yet, we are told we should be changing our laws.

In welcoming the US Supreme Court ruling, we should recognise that Malta is in a wonderful position to encourage, guide, and teach, both medics and legislators in pro-life US states how best to protect unborn babies and their mothers so that they too will be able to boast a zero maternal mortality rate and a state where all babies are protected and valued.

A combination of the US Supreme Court ruling and Malta’s standards of maternal care would provide mothers and babies in those states the best shot at “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

ANTON’ DE PIRO – Life Network Foundation Malta, Valletta

Animal welfare – a policy wake-up call

The discussion on animal welfare is similar to that of other policy objectives relevant today. Anyone can picture the context in which it is utilised but it’s considerably harder when it comes to defining it, let alone, regulating it.

This stumbling block is no huge surprise given the wide scope of activities that are affected by such legislation.

The government is overseeing the concluding stages of its public consultation process with regard to the drafting of a new National Animal Welfare Strategy. Photo: Shutterstock.com

After the Labour Party had promised in its electoral manifesto that a complete review of the animal welfare strategy will take place, the government is overseeing the concluding stages of its public consultation process with regard to the drafting of a new National Animal Welfare Strategy.

Our country is in dire need of action on this area. We need a policy that caters for the use of animals in sporting activities, the introduction of more animal-friendly infrastructure within our community and the preservation of our national biodiversity.

The government is also re-examining the current awareness of how to take the best care of our beloved household pets, while eyeing the global trends on sustainable food production, especially post-COVID and recent global events.

There are multiple strands of thread at play here, distinct, yet, intertwined.

The perils of inaction far outweigh the positives of the status quo. All of these unresolved questions leave an impact on a large number of economic sectors. Yet, any proposed solutions must take into account both cultural trends and ethical deliberations.

The new National Animal Welfare Strategy will be based on a national consultative approach and a firm commitment to achieving sustainable improvements. This strategy will combine the scientific, socio-economic and ethical demands of the different stakeholders involved. The end result will provide a balanced and sustainable outlook on an area sorely in need of additional regulatory and policy direction.

This document will also acknowledge the different requirements that each animal may have, based on their species and breed. It ensures consistent and foreseeable outcomes to possible scenarios encountered by stakeholders. It will also prioritise and guide further improvements to all relevant legislation, based on all possible future developments.

Previous attempts at formulating similar strategies have had mixed results. They were too narrow in scope, foregoing multilateral discussion on these different needs for the sake of expediency. This was either due to a lack of scientific and socio-economic research as a basis for such a policy or because of political priorities.

Even on animal welfare, it’s time that the government stands up to be counted. We shall continue to address the weaknesses of our current policy and legislative set-up by utilising our strengths as a government and as a country.

The wide-ranging scope of this consultation is intentional: only through collective and far-ranging discussion can such a delicate but important issue be addressed and foster positive results.

It is only together, as a community with different needs and aspirations, that such a holistic approach translates into action. Animal welfare is truly on top of this government’s agenda and we aspire that these objectives will leave the desired effect sooner rather than later.

I look forward to implementing such a policy in the coming weeks. Together, we will accomplish even greater strides than before.

ALICIA BUGEJA SAID – Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal rights, Valletta