The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has announced plans to end the contract of the Animal Welfare Ombudsman, Saara Kupsala, when it expires on December 31. The decision, attributed to financial constraints, was announced in a statement by the Ombudsman.
According to Kupsala's statement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry chose not to extend the temporary position, in order to allocate more resources to address issues such as avian influenza, or bird flu.
Kupsala also noted that the position lacks legal protection.
"Making the post permanent is not included in the Animal Welfare Act, nor is it mentioned in the Government Programme," she told Yle.
This information was also included in the Ombudsman's official statement published on Thursday. The statement advocated for establishing the office and its responsibilities through legislation, adding that this call was backed by the Companion and Hobby Animal Welfare Council, among other entities.
In its own statement, the Animal Welfare Council said: "In a challenging economic situation, the risks to animal welfare can increase, which is why it is even more important that the work of an authority advocating for animals continues and that animal-related issues remain a part of public discourse."
The Animal Welfare Ombudsman's post was originally established by PM Jyrki Katainen's NCP-led government in 2013, but was discontinued by Juha Sipilä's (Centre) administration in 2015. The position was most recently revived by Sanna Marin's (SDP) government in 2020.
As a public authority, responsibilities of the independent and autonomous Animal Welfare Ombudsman include advancing and enhancing animal welfare across various sectors of society through initiatives and proposals.
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9.9: Clarified attribution of Animal Welfare Council statement and other details