The government’s decision to recall a bill that would allow kosher slaughter inflicts unnecessary damage on the economy, the Chief Rabbinate of Cyprus said on Sunday.
Agricultural groups quickly chimed in, calling on the government to correct their mistakes before it was too late to help a sector that has been hit hard by the closure of hotels and restaurants.
“At this time of immense economic difficulty internationally, it is important to recognise that the export of kosher meat, fully in accordance with EU regulations, is a significant support to our economy, in terms of income and employment,” the Rabbinate’s statement said.
On Friday the agriculture ministry postponed the bill which had originally been tabled to help Cyprus’ struggling meat industry by legalising kosher slaughter so that meat could be exported to Israel.
The bill had sparked stiff opposition especially from the Green Party and the Animal Party.
The postponement of the bill is “another blow for the agricultural sector here in Cyprus, inflicting unnecessary damage to the economy, to breeders and farmers and had repercussions for the economic stability of Cyprus as a whole,” the Rabbinate said.
The statement said that shechita is a humane method of animal slaughter which conforms to all the norms of animal welfare and is supported by EU Regulation 1099.
“The process, which requires the rapid uninterrupted severance of major vital organs and vessels in the neck of the animal, produces an instant drop in blood pressure in the brain which causes the immediate and irreversible cessation of the animal’s consciousness and sensibility to pain,” it said..
“It is both humane and efficient and conforms to the EU definition of stunning, and is supported by an ample body of scientific evidence.”
The statement added the mechanical stunning methods including electrocution by tongs and water, shooting and asphyxiation by gas “are painful and often go wrong”, leaving millions of animals in “prolonged pain and distress”.
In a statement on Sunday, agricultural unions also expressed their disappointment over the decision to postpone the bill.
“We call on the government to stand up to its responsibilities and correct its error before animal breeders are ruined,” their statement said.
The Chief Rabbinate made special reference to the Green Party, essentially accusing it of hypocrisy.
“For the Green Party to single out one method of slaughter (shechita) for scrutiny is suspicious, troubling, and potentially discriminatory. Those with a genuine concern for animal welfare would do well to turn their attention to the real issues in mechanical stunning, rather than propagate ill-informed myths about religious slaughter.”
The Chief Rabbinate said the supply chains are not operating as usual, and slaughterhouses in Israel and “other countries with significant Jewish populations do not have the capacity to satisfy the demand for kosher meat”.
“This is an opportunity for our agricultural sector here and further delay will see others respond to the demand.”
