4th July 2006

 

COMPASSION IN WORLD FARMING - IRELAND

 

 

SUBMISSION TO DISCUSSIONS ON THE FORMULATION OF AN ACTION PLAN FOR THE PIG INDUSTRY IN IRELAND.

 

 

Introduction.

 

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) believes that long term planning for the future of the pig industry in Ireland should include a move towards systems with higher animal welfare standards.  Consumers are increasingly interested in animal welfare-friendly production of meat and animal products. 

 

CIWF believes that ideally all pigs should have access to outdoors.  However, we are aware that indoor systems can also offer high animal welfare standards provided that certain conditions are met.  I discuss these in detail below.

 

 

1.  Pigs should be provided with a sufficient quantity of suitable manipulable material.

 

Commission Directive 2001/93/EC (amending Directive 91/630 EEC laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs) introduced an important reform for pig welfare.  Paragraph 4 of the Annex provides that, from 1 January 2003, “pigs must have permanent access to a sufficient quantity of material to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities, such as straw, hay, wood, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat or a mixture of such…”.

 

The Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) has recently produced a series of reports on investigations carried out in various Member States (FVO reports of missions carried out in 2005 in Estonia, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain).  Though these investigations did not include Ireland, the findings are relevant because they indicate the importance of ensuring that the above legislation is adhered to fully. 

 

The FVO reports found that some farmers in the countries they looked at were ignoring the legislation altogether, whilst others were trying to evade it by using unsuitable materials - such as chains - that fail to enable “proper investigation and manipulation activities” as required by the Directive.

 

The Directive requires the use of materials that enable “proper” investigation and manipulation activities.  The scientific literature shows that chains are ineffective enrichment materials.  A recent study of expert opinion published in the journal Animal Welfare

(Bracke M. B. M., Animal Welfare 2006, 15: 67-70) reports that 89% of pig welfare scientists who responded to a questionnaire stated that providing a chain is not sufficient; only 3% think a chain is sufficient. The experts identified the ability to enable pigs to root, manipulate and chew and to provide sustained animal-material interactions as the main properties required for enrichment materials for pigs.  Chains and similar inorganic materials do not fulfil these requirements.

 

The recent opinion by the EFSA Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare stresses the importance of environmental enrichment for pigs concluding that “if manipulable material is not provided, poor welfare is caused in pigs”.  The opinion states that straw is the preferred material for pigs.  Indeed, the scientific literature identifies straw as one of the best enrichment materials for pigs.  Farmers with fully slatted floors are reluctant to use straw, but the EFSA opinion states that small quantities of straw can be used as environmental enrichment on slatted floors.

 

In light of this research and expert opinion, it is CIWF’s view that the pig industry in Ireland should ensure that all pigs are provided with suitable manipulable material, preferably straw, in adequate quantities to allow pigs to fulfil their need to carry out a full range of rooting/manipulation behaviours.

 

 

2.  Tail-docking of piglets should not be carried out routinely.

 

It is also clear from the FVO reports that many farmers in the EU Member States they investigated are ignoring paragraph 8 of the Annex of Directive 2001/93/EC, which prohibits routine tail docking and stipulates that this procedure may only be carried out once other measures to prevent tail biting, such as improving the pigs’ conditions, have been taken.

 

Again, whilst these investigations did not include Ireland, their findings indicate that the pig industry here should ensure this requirement is fully met.  All farmers should comply fully with the part of the EU legislation that says other measures should be taken before resorting to pig tail docking.  Such measures should include improvement of the pigs’ environment.

 

There is a considerable body of scientific research and practical experience that show how tail biting can be prevented.  The EFSA opinion stresses that “the occurrence of tail biting can be reduced dramatically by the provision of straw as well as by other measures”.

 

 

3.  In the medium term, the industry should move away from the use of farrowing crates.

 

CIWF believes that farrowing crates are unacceptable in high welfare systems because they severely restrict the movement of sows.

 

CIWF would like to see the industry in Ireland examine all on-going work on viable alternatives to the use of farrowing crates, in particular in Sweden where alternative systems are commonly used.  In the medium term, CIWF would like to see the pig industry in Ireland moving away from the use of farrowing crates. 

 

 

4.  Legal cut-off points regarding the use of sow tethering and sow stalls should be strictly adhered to.

 

Sow tethering became illegal in all Member States from 1st January 2006.  CIWF has unconfirmed reports that there may still be some tethering in use.  If this is the case, then this situation should be rectified by the industry immediately,

 

The use of sow stalls after the first 4 weeks of pregnancy will become illegal in all Member States from 1st January 2013.  The industry should ensure that this requirement is fully complied with from that date.

 

 

Conclusion.

 

CIWF would like to see the pig industry in Ireland achieving very high animal welfare standards, which could then be used a selling point.  High welfare standards would include environmental enrichment, adherence to the EU ban on routine tail-docking, a move away from farrowing crates, and strict enforcement of the forthcoming ban on the use of sow stalls after the first 4 weeks of pregnancy.  In addition, CIWF would like to see the production of free-range pigs encouraged.

 

 

 

Mary-Anne Bartlett

Director

Compassion in World Farming - Ireland

 

 

Compassion in World Farming - Ireland

P.O. Box 750

Togher

Cork

 

Tel: 021 4639038

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