Serious violations of pig welfare
Pigs must have room to lie down and rest. Photo: MAST
Not one single major pig farm in Iceland complies fully with all current rules on welfare and conditions for pig farming, according to a report by the Iceland Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST).
The severity of the situation varies from farm to farm, ranging from minor non-compliance to extremely serious violations. The report covers pig farms slaughtering 200 pigs or more per year.
The deadline for pig farmers to submit a costed, timetabled action plan to remedy the shortcomings identified runs out today.
Sores and overcrowding
The MAST report, covering 2014, details cases of ‘bed sores’ (pressure ulcers) in pigs and serious cases of pigs being kept in excessively small confined spaces. New pig welfare rules introduced in 2014 lay down that pig must have sufficient room to lie down and rest.
No farmer will be given any extension to their action plan deadline unless these basic conditions have been met.
“MAST has issued repeated reminders regarding this deadline and what ensuring sufficient room for animals entails,” explains specialist veterinarian Þóra J. Jóhannsdóttir.
More powers to deal with violations
“When we identify violations, we register them and impose improvements. In serious cases, where we deem that improvements cannot wait and the animal(s) in question must be helped without delay, on-the-spot improvements are imposed in the presence of an official supervisor.”
New rules introduced in 2014 give MAST more powers to deal with violations of animal welfare rules.
The report details repeated cases of bacterial infection in lungs and chronic inflammation of the pleurae and pericardial sac in Icelandic pigs brought to slaughter. There are many possible causes for this, including pig-rearing conditions and environment and animal overcrowding.
Not good for pig-farming reputation
Head of the Icelandic Pig-Farming Association, Hörður Harðarson, say that he is „extremely worried about the reputation of [Icelandic pig farming]” and that “on the whole, we clearly must do better”.
“I trust that farmers are addressing the shortcomings reported by MAST,” he continues. “I would be the last to condone, for instance, keeping pigs in excessively small spaces. The pictures of sores that we have seen in the media are unacceptable.”
Sores on a pig. Photo: MAST
