Porker protest outside parliament

24 September 1999

Porker protest outside parliament

By Peter Crichton

MORE than 100 pig farmers have delivered two live sows to the House of Commons in what is claimed to be the first protest of its kind.

The protest, organised by the British Pig Industry Support Group, aimed to draw attention to imports of pigmeat produced under conditions illegal in the UK.

Many intensive production systems used to produce pigs in other European countries have been outlawed in the UK because they are not welfare-friendly.

In a closely co-ordinated operation, two tethered and crated sows were delivered to Victoria Tower Gardens adjoining the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday.

Ian Campbell, BPISG eastern region chairman, then staged a press conference which was covered by TV, radio and newspaper reporters.

The UK government and the major retailers had failed to differentiate between UK pigmeat and imports which fell below the domestic specification, he said.

Stalls and tethers are banned in the UK, but other European countries use the conditions to produce and ship pigmeat to the UK at rock-bottom prices.