Vets call for mass pig slaughter
22 August 2000
Vets call for mass pig slaughter
by FWi staff
VETERINARY experts have called for the slaughter of up to 80,000 pigs in a bid to save large numbers of farmers from ruin because of swine fever.
The demand came as it was claimed that some movement restrictions imposed on unaffected pig farms because of the disease could last at least six more weeks.
A partial relaxation of livestock movement restrictions in surveillance zones around four infected nursery farms is expected on Wednesday (23 August).
But it is expected that a fifth surveillance zone surrounding the Norfolk breeding unit where the outbreak is thought to have started will be unchanged.
Intitial estimates from the National Pig Association thought that up to 200 farms may benefit from the partial lifting of the restrictions.
Pig production on unrestricted farms will effectively be back to normal and meat from healthy pigs will not have to be heat-treated as previously feared.
However, up to 800 farms are expected to remain under restriction because they are within 10km of the five farms where the disease has been confirmed.
Agriculture minister Nick Brown has so far ruled out compensation for farmers with unaffected pigs in restriction zones, saying it is a business risk.
But the Pig Veterinary Society said in a statement that Mr Brown had a moral responsibility to act immediately to avoid a human and animal welfare catastrophe.
“Carcasses should be rendered down and the full market value paid to farmers, thus minimising animal welfare problems and avoiding economic collapse.”
The veterinary society, which is a division of the British Veterinary Association, said the government should take more action over swine fever.
Unless such action is forthcoming, it believes pig farmers will be faced with a major animal welfare problem because of factors outside their control.
Although the government believes that the disease is now under control, the National Pig Association estimates that 80,000 healthy pigs cannot be moved.
The veterinary society said ministers should facilitate the mass slaughter of the pigs which are becoming increasingly overcrowded as more piglets are born.
Smaller pigs stuck on nursery farms should be humanely killed before they outgrow their accommodation, said the statement from the society.
Fully-grown pigs in movement restriction areas surrounding each of five infected farms should be also slaughtered before they become over-fat, it added.
The veterinary society statement also said that stringent anti-disease rules mean that some restrictions are likely to remain in place for at least another six weeks.
As a result, the society believes that East Anglia is moving into a crisis of huge proportions as a result of the restrictions that are in place on many farms.
It released the statement after Brussels paved the way for a partial lifting of its ban on English exports of live pigs and boar semen on Tuesday (22 August).
Pending any unforeseen events, the ban will now be formally lifted for all of England except Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex on Friday (25 August).