It is immediately and plainly obvious, illegal abattoirs should be sought out by the authorities in a sweep and shut down; on the spot.

It goes without saying. Apart from the pure barbarity of killing animals in such conditions, one must also look at the health and safety (or clear lack of) aspect.

We are referring to a case last week when the police and officers from the Animal Welfare Directorate discovered an illegal abattoir in Mosta, which was killing animals according to the Halal ritual. It turns out that people had noticed blood coming out of a garage which a person was using to kill goats and sheep. Two African men explained to the authorities that they used to buy animals off this person who then used to slaughter them in accordance with Halal ritual.

According to Muslim law, the process involves slitting the animal’s throat and as result it is left to bleed to death. This, many people believe, causes the animals to suffer.

But it turns out that Maltese law permits halal slaughtering of animals but this can only take place after they are stunned – given a shock that leads to unconsciousness, at the legal abattoir in Marsa.

In fact, a spokesman for the Resources and Rural Affairs Ministry (MRRA), explained Halal slaughtering is performed by a Muslim who is certified and approved by the Imam. The Civil Abattoir in Marsa therefore does provide for, and allow Halal slaughtering, strictly in compliance with EU regulations as regards to animal welfare.

The animals found at the illegal abattoir were all unregistered, save one, which shows that there is also a black market trade in animals, seeing as all should be marked and registered.

There are various issues at stake here, and the first has to be the well-being of people who might live close to such illegal operations. Live animals are bad enough, but slaughtering of animals in a residential area where blood run-off is a repeat occurrence, is something else entirely.

And that brings us on to another point. What about all the illegal abattoirs which might dot the countryside? Moving away from health and safety, to the actual dignity of the animal, the fact that the slaughtering is done in secrecy already leads to trauma and suffering. Animals are probably kept in garages or rooms somewhere out in the country till it is decided to kill them by slitting their throats and letting them bleed to death. It is inhumane and it is indecent and it needs to stop.

And this brings us on to one final point. As pointed out in this leading article, Maltese law does provide for Halal slaughtering, in a humane manner. If it is available, then asylum seekers and African Maltese citizens must understand that these are our laws and this is the way it is done. If such ‘loopholes’ continue to be available, then they will continue to give rise to ways in which Africans do not integrate successfully. These are three very good reasons for a thorough nationwide sweep.

Meanwhile, a Facebook group, ‘Make Ritual Animal Slaughtering Illegal in Malta’, set up through the causes website, has attracted some 1,406 members.

Following the discovery of the illegal slaughterhouse, a group member has sent questions to the MRRA regarding the current rules and laws for the ritual slaughtering of animals, mostly as regards Halal and Kosher slaughtering.

He asked whether this type of slaughtering can take place at the Marsa abattoir, whether stunning is mandatory and whether safeguards exist for meat slaughtered according to particular religious rituals not to end up mixed with regular meat on the market.