Pig welfare at crisis level

Overcrowding on pig farms in Iceland has reached crisis level and animal welfare is at risk, according to the Head of the Icelandic Pig-Farming Association, Hörður Harðar­son.

Ongoing strike action by veterinary members of the Icelandic Association of Academics (BHM) means that pigs are not being taken to slaughter in the usual way. A certified vet must always be present when animals are slaughtered in Icelandic abattoirs.

As a result of an ongoing wage dispute between BHM and the State, overcrowding on pigs farms has now exceeded legally permissible levels and is getting worse. Pig farmers are also suffering a loss of income as they are unable to slaughter their animals.