If you have any staff on farm who gained their licence or certificate outside of the UK they will need to apply for a new CoC or WATOK licence from the APHA before they will be able to carry out slaughter operations on farm after the 1 January 2021.
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Anyone slaughtering poultry on farm for commercial sale is required by law to hold a Certificate of Competence for the slaughtering activity undertaken even if only a very small number of birds are involved.
A Certificate of Competence is required for any ‘relevant operations’ under the WATOK regulations. Those who do not hold a full certificate will not be able to slaughter poultry unless they do so under the supervision of someone who holds a full certificate.
Poultry producers should consider using this year’s Christmas processing operation to get any staff members currently covered by an EU-issued WATOK or CoC who are likely to return next year assessed by an APHA vet this year, so that they can apply for a UK-issued WATOK or CoC in time for Christmas 2021.
The assessment requires individuals to demonstrate competence in carrying out slaughter procedures and are is specific to individual poultry species and slaughter method (ie a WATOK or CoC issued for ducks would not be valid for turkeys and/or a license or certificate issued for the method of electrical stunning is not valid for the use of a captive bolt).
What to do if you need to arrange a veterinary assessment:
- Call the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301 and choose the relevant options for APHA.
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Further help and guidance:
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