Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Regulation 18

SCHEDULE 10 Methods of killing fox and mink

Application

1.  This Schedule shall apply only to the killing of fox and mink which are farmed for their fur.

Killing fox which is farmed for its fur

2.  No person shall kill, or cause or permit to be killed, any fox which is farmed for its fur, except by administering to the fox a lethal injection of a drug which has anaesthetic properties and which causes a rapid loss of consciousness followed by death.

Killing mink which is farmed for its fur

3.  No person shall kill, or cause or permit to be killed, any mink which is farmed for its fur, except by one of the following methods—

(a) a lethal injection of a drug with anaesthetic properties;

(b) exposure to carbon monoxide; or

(c) exposure to carbon dioxide.

Specific requirements for killing mink by a lethal injection of a drug with anaesthetic properties

4.  No person shall kill, or cause or permit to be killed, any mink which is farmed for its fur except by administering to the mink a lethal injection of a drug which has anaesthetic properties and which causes a rapid loss of consciousness followed by death.

Specific requirements for killing mink by exposure to carbon monoxide

5.  No person shall kill, or cause or permit to be killed, any mink by exposure to carbon monoxide unless—

(a) the chamber in which the mink is exposed to the gas is designed, constructed and maintained in such a way as to—

(i) avoid injury to the mink; and

(ii) allow the mink to be supervised;

(b) the mink is introduced into the chamber only after the chamber has been filled with a concentration of carbon monoxide of at least 1% by volume, supplied by a source of 100% carbon monoxide;

(c) gas produced by an engine specially adapted for that purpose is used only if—

(i) the gas used has been suitably cooled and sufficiently filtered and is free from any irritant matter or irritant gas; and

(ii) no mink is placed in the chamber until the concentration of carbon monoxide has reached at least 1% by volume;

(d) the gas induces deep general anaesthesia when inhaled and then causes certain death; and

(e) the mink remains in the chamber until it is dead.

Specific requirements for killing mink by exposure to carbon dioxide

6.  No person shall kill, or cause or permit to be killed, any mink by exposure to carbon dioxide unless—

(a) the chamber in which the mink is exposed to the gas is designed, constructed and maintained in such a way as to—

(i) avoid injury to the mink; and

(ii) allow the mink to be supervised;

(b) the mink is introduced into the chamber only when the atmosphere contains the highest possible concentration of carbon dioxide supplied by a source of 100% carbon dioxide;

(c) the gas induces deep general anaesthesia when inhaled and then causes certain death; and

(d) the mink remains in the chamber until it is dead.