Around 60 protesters have gathered outside the New Zealand Pork Board in Wellington this afternoon, after footage emerged of an accredited farm's poor treatment of its pigs.
Animal advocacy group SAFE campaign officer Shanti Ahluwalia says it laid a complaint with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) against the Christchurch farm, which has the PigCare accreditation label, last year.
It was found to be significantly non-compliant with the pig welfare code, but MPI cleared the farm months later after saying it had improved enough to meet the standards.
The ministry said it would continue monitoring the farm, but its latest check in April found conditions worse than when the complaint was laid.
Mr Ahluwalia says independent investigators found a sow in a farrowing crate so tight her newborn piglets were squashed to death, and left others dying.
"We are holding the New Zealand Pork Board accountable for animal cruelty and are calling on the public to boycott pork," Mr Ahluwalia says.
"There are many issues with pig industry, but one of the biggest is farrowing crates – they're incredibly cruel and don't even allow mother pigs to turn around."
SAFE executive director Hans Kriek says the ministry cannot be trusted to enforce animal welfare legislation and has an "obvious conflict of interest".
More than 20,000 sows are confined in farrowing crates which leave little room to turn around, causing health problems and unnatural behaviours.
A ban on sow stalls comes into effect in December next year, but the organisation says the other practices including farrowing crates and fattening pens will still be allowed.
3 News
source: newshub archive
