Mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses has been shown to improve animal welfare compliance by providing independent evidence of handling and stunning practices.
Slaughter is a high-risk welfare moment for farm animals: the combination of novel environment, handling by strangers, and stunning and killing procedures creates acute welfare challenges. Official inspection visits can only observe a fraction of the time that slaughter operations run. CCTV provides a deterrent and evidence base that significantly improves welfare compliance. The welfare benefit of mandatory CCTV has been demonstrated empirically by the prosecutions it has enabled.