This is a subscriber-only article
The number of animal welfare inspections on NI farms that were a result of a complaint by a member of the public has continued to fall.
Figures published by DAERA show that 89 inspections were carried out on farms in 2018 following a complaint, down from 106 the year before, and 226 in 2016.
Of the 89 inspections last year, 60 were as a result of anonymous complaints and 29 stemmed from complaints where the caller gave their identity.
A breach was detected during 18 of the inspections last year, and seven subsequently led to a conviction.
This compares to 21 breaches and eight convictions in 2017, and 22 breaches with 20 convictions in 2016.
No animals have been seized as a result of complaint-led animal welfare inspections in the last two years.
Overall, based on both risk based and randomly selected sites, DAERA conducted 1,239 inspections for farm animal welfare during 2018. The compliance rate was 95%, which is up 1% year on year and is 5% higher than 2016 levels.
SHARING OPTIONS: