The UFAW Medal and award for Outstanding Contributions to Animal Welfare was presented and posthumously awarded to Professor Christopher Wathes, who sadly passed away in May, at the Federation’s Conference ‘Recent Advances in Animal Welfare Science V’ which was held in York on the 23rd June.
The UFAW Medal recognises exceptional achievements of individual scientists who have made fundamental contributions to the advancement of animal welfare over a number of years. The award is open to individuals, anywhere in the world, whose research, teaching, service and advocacy has significantly benefited the welfare of animals. UFAW was very pleased to recognise the remarkable achievements of Christopher.
Professor Christopher Wathes was a leading light in the field of animal welfare and his work is his legacy to animal welfare. As a scientist, manager and chairman his work has had a deep and lasting impact, leading to substantial pragmatic and sustainable improvements in animal welfare. Animal welfare is primarily about how animals feel, and Christopher was an early pioneer developing techniques to ask animals what they want.
Christopher has been described as a scientist of the highest calibre and throughout his career engaged with industry so that his research could be translated into practical solutions. Examples include improvements to the design of cages and housing for laying hens and broiler chickens, animal transporters and methods of stunning. He played an early and continuing role in the development of Precision Livestock Farming, believing that the use of real time monitoring of an animals’ performance can be put to good use in early detection of any problems affecting their health and wellbeing.
Christopher helped to train many PhD and MSc students and junior scientists, a large proportion of whom have gone on to develop their own careers in promoting animal welfare through careers in universities, industry and welfare organisations. He also contributed to the education of the general public through lectures, advice and by seeking to engage school children in having an accurate understanding of the provenance of their food and the implications for welfare which this may have.
A major contribution came through Christopher’s 8 years as Chairman of the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC). He brought together people with different backgrounds and viewpoints and got them all working together towards pragmatic and sustainable solutions which would improve welfare. Through his work at FAWC he developed the concepts of the ‘Good Life’ and ‘Life worth Living’ which took the ‘Five Freedoms’ to the next stage. His widow, Claire, will accept the award on his behalf at the conference.
Professor Claire Wathes, who accepted the award on behalf of her late husband Christopher said:
“He would dearly like to thank you for this award. He did hear about it before he died and it was a big thrill to him…. Another of his great enthusiasms was the training and mentoring of junior staff and PhD students and it’s wonderful that a number of those who benefitted from his often unorthodox training approaches are here with us today. He left behind him a special wish that we should set up a travel fund for junior scientists in his memory and the money which comes with this award will now go towards this.”