LAUSR

DEFRA has joined forces with the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) to fund research into developing more humane methods of slaughter for pigs. The two organisations are offering up to £400,000 of research funding for a project to develop and validate an alternative stunning method to carbon dioxide (CO2). The stunning of pigs by direct exposure to high concentrations of CO2 is currently common practice for the commercial slaughter of pigs. The use of CO2 in high concentration is permitted under EU and national regulations and this method is used in the UK as well as other EU member states. But research has shown that CO2 stunning does not guarantee absence of avoidable pain, suffering and dizziness in pigs. Inhalation of CO2 causes acute respiratory distress which, in turn, causes hyperventilation, a sense of breathlessness, gasping and suffocation. In 2003, a report published by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) recommended that this method should be phased out. In 2004, a report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirmed the effectiveness of the method, but noted that it resulted in respiratory distress in pigs. Following these findings from FAWC and EFSA, Defra commissioned research to look at alternative gases for killing pigs in 2005. Results indicated that the use of direct exposure to high concentrations of inert gases is a more humane method as it does not cause aversion. However, despite efforts to encourage uptake by the industry there has been little progress made in using inert gas in commercial slaughterhouses, due to practical issues related to the time that it takes for pigs to become unconscious/ death and the practicality of replacing CO2 systems with the new equipment. The research project aims to ensure that any proposed method is not only more humane but also practically and economically viable so that it is likely to be widely adopted by the pig industry. ‘The HSA hopes that this collaborative funding opportunity with Defra will lead to improvements in the welfare of pigs at the time of slaughter,’ commented HSA’s chief executive and scientific director Robert Hubrecht. The National Pig Association welcomed the announcement and said it was pleased funding has been made available for research into new methods. NPA senior policy advisor Georgina Crayford said: ‘We also welcome HSA’s acknowledgement that new methods need to be commercially viable to ensure roll out but, until an alternative is found, CO2 stunning remains best practice.’ Proposals should include a comprehensive assessment of the welfare impacts of the alternative method and also evaluate the practicality of the method for large-scale commercial slaughter of pigs to ensure that the method is likely to be adopted by industry. For further information on the funding and how to apply, see www.hsa.org.uk/ grants-awards. The deadline for submissions is August 28.