Chamber and committees

No assessment has been made of public attitudes towards the maceration of live male chicks.

No discussions have been had at this time. We will, however, continue working with industry and to review updated scientific evidence in order to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare are met.

As set out in response to S7W-01487 on 15 July 2026, NatureScot has worked through iterations of the Muirburn Code of Practice with stakeholders through the Muirburn Code Working Group. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

A consultation on the draft Code closed in May 2025 and responses have informed NatureScot’s consideration of the final version of the Code. Stakeholder feedback has also been considered through direct engagement with the Muirburn Code Working Group and wider discussions with interested parties.

The Scottish Government does not currently intend to publish a separate summary of the representations received on the draft Code. However, the final version of the Code will reflect the outcome of NatureScot’s engagement with stakeholders and the consideration given to consultation responses.

To date, no consideration has been given to the introduction of such a code. The Scottish Government has, however, committed to continue to examine the evidence and need for future measures, regulatory or otherwise, to improve the welfare protections for decapods.

The official statistics, available at Scotland's Redress Scheme Statistics December 2021 - June 2025 - gov.scot provide information on applications, outcomes and payments made in the first 42 months of Scotland's Redress Scheme.

At this stage the Scottish Government has no plans to phase out or prohibit the maceration of live male chicks. The current methods of killing chicks, such as Maceration/Instantaneous Mechanical Destruction, are considered to be acceptable by the Humane Slaughter Association and we will continue to work with industry to ensure that the current regulations still meet their objectives.

The Scottish Government will consider the case for developing statutory codes as part of the wider work and commitment to undertake a gap analysis and wider evidence-based review to inform future measures to protect decapod welfare.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of animals at slaughter very seriously, including that of male chicks. The current methods of killing chicks, such as Maceration/Instantaneous Mechanical Destruction, are considered to be acceptable by the Humane Slaughter Association and we will continue to work with industry to ensure that the current regulations still meet their objectives.

The Scottish Government is working with Defra and the Welsh Government on producing guidance on the welfare of decapods at the time of killing. We are also committed to undertaking a gap analysis in partnership with Defra to identify knowledge and evidence gaps, reviewing current evidence and to continuing our engagement with relevant stakeholders to explore how best to improve decapod welfare.

In line with data protection requirements, applications from multiple individuals within family groups are received and considered individually. Family members can request to have the same redress case worker assigned to their application. With consent from all parties, information relating to family members’ applications can be shared for consideration by Redress Scotland panel members.