Depopulation means the process of killing animals for public health, animal health, animal welfare or environmental reasons under the supervision of the competent authority.
The regional or local competent authority responsible for a depopulation operation shall establish an action plan to ensure compliance with the rules laid down in the regulation, before the commencement of the operation. The competent authority shall ensure that such operations are carried out in accordance with an action plan, and take any appropriate action to safeguard the welfare of the animals in the best available conditions. In exceptional circumstances the competent authority may grant derogations from one or more of the provisions of the regulation where it considers that compliance is likely to affect human health or significantly slow down the process of eradication of a disease.
Depopulation reports
By 30 June each year, the Finnish Food Authority shall transmit to the Commission a report on the depopulation operations carried out during the previous year and make it publicly available via the Internet.
With regards to each depopulation operation, that report shall include, in particular:
- the reasons for the depopulation;
- the number and the species of animals killed;
- the stunning and killing methods used;
- a description of the difficulties encountered and, where appropriate, solutions found to alleviate or minimise the suffering of the animals concerned;
- any derogation granted from one or more of the provisions of the regulation
Depopulation operations 2013 - 2020
There were no depopulation operations in Finland during years 2013-2020 in compliance with the scope and definition of the regulation.
Depopulation operations 2021
Depopulation operations 2021 (pdf)