An international coalition of animal welfare groups has launched a humane transport campaign with what it claims is damning video footage of live hogs shipped by land and sea from Lethbridge, Alta., to Hawaii in inhumane conditions for pork labelled as a Hawaiian product.
The groups, spearheaded by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) under the banner Handle With Care, described what they said is a 6,000-km , seven- to nine-day trip via California for about 15,000 animals per year, and called it “the worst route in North America.”
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“Deprived of food, water and rest for long periods of time, the pigs never leave the containers they are shipped in and for the duration of that trip are forced to lie in their own feces, urine and vomit,” the WSPA said in a release Tuesday from Calgary.
“Many (of the hogs) die en route, and the surviving animals are sold to unsuspecting Hawaiian consumers as ‘Island Produced Pork,'” the groups claimed.
An edited video montage on the Handle With Care web site features quick clips of hogs in cramped conditions inside a semi-trailer, others squealing and flailing in the loading chute and close-ups of what appears to be a downer animal and the “Island Produced” label.
“We’ve had the technology to ship chilled meat for 125 years, there is no reason why millions of animals are still suffering and dying on these brutal journeys,” said WSPA programs manager Pat Tohill in the release.
Rebecca Aldworth of the Canadian wing of Humane Society International said the groups are “calling on the officials in Alberta and Ottawa to stop this cruel transport.”
The groups said they have a letter from federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz stating that proposed new regulations would prevent the export of live animals if transportation conditions do not comply with Canada’s regulatory requirements over the entire journey.
Investigation wanted
Alberta Pork, the body representing Alberta’s hog producers, said in a release that proper care and treatment are a priority and that the organization has worked with governments and other stakeholders and consulted with experts such as U.S. specialist Temple Grandin to create its regulations and guidelines for hog transport.
“All participants in the food production chain — farmer, trucker, and processor — must ensure that our pigs arrive at their destination in good, healthy condition, free from injury,” chairman Herman Simons, a producer from Tees, Alta., said in a release Tuesday.
“Any mistreatment of animals needs to be investigated and steps must be taken to prevent future occurrences,” he said, adding that “Alberta Pork expects that the U.S. authorities will investigate the matter and ensure that those individuals and companies handling our hogs are following the rules.
“At the end of the day, pork producers, the WSPA and consumers all have the same concern which is the welfare of our animals,” Simons said.
“In the case of the animals exported to Hawaii, Alberta Pork together with (Alberta Farm Animal Care) will monitor the investigation and use the facts that emerge as part of our ongoing commitments to improve animal handling.”
The Handle With Care campaign also focused on three other livestock shipping routes: sheep headed from Australia to the Middle East, cattle from Brazil to Lebanon and horses from Spain to Italy.
