August
18, 2004
Number 64, Volume 2
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Sanctuary, The Fund
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Progress Foundation, and People
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1. PIG INDUSTRY REPORTS IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLING AND TRANSPORT
The
National Pork Board's 3-year-old Trucker Quality Assurance (TQA) program
has contributed to about 70,000 fewer pigs dying in 2003 while in transit
to be slaughtered. However, an estimated 230,000 pigs still died while
being transported during the year. The data comes from the USDA's Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which states that dead pigs during
transport peaked at 0.30% in the years 1998-2001, but dropped to 0.23%
in 2003. Approximately 100 million pigs are slaughtered in the US every
year. The TQA program was implemented in February 2002 to "ensure the
safe transport of hogs to slaughter." Since its inception, the program
has issued more than 9,000 certificates for course completions. The program
covers the areas of pre-loading, transport, and unloading of pigs. TQA
will be revised in February 2005, in part to educate truckers about "the
importance of moving hogs patiently and in small groups… and paying close
attention to protecting pigs when hauled in extreme weather conditions."
Another National Pork Board program, the Swine Welfare Assurance Program
(SWAP), exceeded expectations in its first year by completing more than
100 assessments. According to the National Pork Board's Director of Animal
Welfare, "SWAP is an assessment of the welfare of the animal… The program
measures different aspects of animal welfare: behavior, performance and
health, broken out into nine care and well-being principles." Along with
SWAP, the National Pork Board has initiated nine special projects to study
the welfare of pigs over the next year, including gestation crates, welfare
during transport, and the impact of piglet processing on animal well-being.
National Pork Board website: http://www.porkboard.org
"Pork Processors Notice Hog Hauling Improvements Thanks to Checkoff Program," Meatingplace.com, Kristin Gagnon, August 12, 2004
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/pop.asp?ID=12869
"Hog Transportation Program Makes Tracks," National Hog Farmer, Joe Vansickle, August 15, 2004
http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/NationalHogFarmer/2004/08/15/524446
"Swine Welfare Program Proves Successful," National Hog Farmer, Joe Vansickle, August 15, 2004
http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/NationalHogFarmer/2004/08/15/524445
2. EXPERTS CRITICIZE WESTERN DIET BASED ON MEAT AND DAIRY
A
top US preventive medicine expert says that a reduction in meat consumption
would significantly improve human health and lessen environmental degradation.
In an interview published in New Scientist, Robert Lawrence of the Center
for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
offers an extensive list of facts about meat production and consumption.
Lawrence points to environmental issues such as arsenic in the surface
water of Maryland's eastern shore due to the state's chicken industry
and the pollution of 23 of 26 river systems in North Carolina caused by
pig farms. Lawrence also discusses meat consumption, saying that the average
American male consumes twice as much meat as what the USDA recommends,
while females consume 1.6 times the amount suggested. Lawrence, who directs
the Center's "Meatless Monday" campaign (http://www.meatlessmonday.com),
admits that he is in for a fight, citing the $34 billion that food and
beverage companies spend every year to reach American consumers.
World water experts agreed that meat production is environmentally unsustainable
at the World Water Week conference held in Sweden from August 15-21. According
to a paper delivered during the conference, "For several decades, the
increase in food production has outpaced population growth. Now much of
the world is simply running out of water for more production…" Irrigation
for farming is estimated to consume 70% of all water used by humans, excluding
rainwater.
"The True Cost of Meat," New Scientist, Liz Else, August 14, 2004
http://www.newscientist.com/opinion/opinterview.jsp?id=ns24601
"Hungry World 'Must Eat Less Meat,'" BBC News, Alex Kirby, August 15, 2004
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/3559542.stm
3. COW "RUSTLING" (STEALING) ON THE RISE IN THE U.S.
Beef and dairy cow producers in California, Kentucky, and elsewhere are increasingly targeted by cow "rustlers," thieves who steal animals and surreptitiously sell them to slaughterhouses or other farmers. In California, more than 1,100 cows were stolen in 2003, most of them dairy cows; the number was 907 in 2002. However, many incidents go unreported, and the actual number of stolen cows is estimated at "probably double or triple what is reported." The economic damage from rustling is estimated at $1.5 million a year, a fraction of the $4 billion California dairy industry. The motivation for stealing cows comes as dairy production is down significantly and prices are up, creating an incentive for would-be rustlers. Moreover, dairy farmers have historically imported replacement cows from Canada, which has been disallowed for nearly a year due to the discovery of BSE in Alberta. In addition to stealing animals outright, some thieves are even stealing the "choice cuts" from some beef cows and leaving their butchered bodies behind.
"Where's the Beef?: Rustling Makes a Comeback in California," Los Angeles Weekly, Steven Kotler, August 12, 2004
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/laweekly/20040812/lo_laweekly/55919
"Wagers Aims to Steer Legislators towards Cattle Protection Laws," Winchester Sun, Tim Weldon, August 12, 2004
http://www.winchestersun.com/articles/2004/08/11/local_news/news01.txt
4. BSE UPDATE: CANADIANS SUE THE U.S.; MISLEADING TEST RESULTS
CANADIANS
SUE THE US: Canadian beef producers are suing the US government for $113
in damages they say resulted from the US ban on the import of live cows
from Canada. The claims filed under a provision of NAFTA are only the
beginning; Canadian producers seek to encourage more claims and increase
the suit to a billion dollars. They have lost an estimated $1.5 billion
due to the closed border, which stemmed from the discovery of BSE in Alberta
last year. Due to the closure, Canada is experiencing a significant backlog
of older cows (see http://www.farmedanimal.net/Newsletters/Newslettern63v2.htm#1).
The lawsuit is designed to convince the US to reopen its borders to Canada
for the import of live cows.
BOTCHED BSE TESTING: Over the past two years, the USDA has failed to test
or tested the wrong part of the brain of nearly 500 cows considered at
high risk of having BSE. According to documents obtained from a Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) request, it appears that some animals who were
incorrectly or untested were included in the USDA's tally of BSE tests
conducted during the past two years. The FOIA documents are the latest
in a string of criticisms of USDA's handling of BSE testing, including
an in-depth report from the department's own Inspector General. According
to the deputy director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, "This
adds to the clear documentation in the Inspector General's report that
the program is in shambles, from its design to its implementation to its
record keeping."
"Canadians File Mad Cow Suit against U.S.," The Ledger / Associated Press, August 12, 2004
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040812/API/408121016
"News Report Claims USDA Botched BSE Tests for Hundreds of Animals," Meatingplace.com, Brendan O'Neill, August 12, 2004
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/pop.asp?ID=12863
"Agencies Invite Comment on Proposed BSE Safeguards," American Veterinary Medical Association, August 15, 2004
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/aug04/040815b.asp
5. UPCOMING FARMED ANIMAL EVENTS: NEXT THREE MONTHS
For a complete list of upcoming events, visit http://www.farmedanimal.net/events.shtml.
August 21-22, 2004 - United Poultry Concerns Fifth Annual Forum
http://www.upc-online.org/alerts/41904forum04.htm
August 25, 2004 - Live Discussion with Matthew Scully
http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/04/viewpoint_aspca082504.htm
September 22, 2004 - Local and Global Considerations in Animal Agriculture: The Big Picture
PDF file, 90k: http://www.fact.cc/Program%20FTAA.pdf
October 1-3, 2004 - Empty Cages: The Nineteenth Annual International Compassionate Living Festival
http://www.animalsandsociety.org/emptycages.htm
October 5-7, 2004 - Living with Livestock: Environment and Change
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/livestockliv/index.html
November 3-4, 2004 - Animals in the Food System Conference http://www.carrs.msu.edu/Conferences/index.asp
"New
Welfare Lab Offers Pig's-Eye View," National Hog Farmer, Lisa Sheppard,
August 15, 2004 Discusses the new USDA Farm Animal Behavior and Well-Being
Laboratory at Purdue University, which aims to "tackle the hard questions
related to feelings -- pain, frustration and motivation…" http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/NationalHogFarmer/2004/08/15/524447
"'September is National Chicken Month' Campaign Appeals to Health-Conscious Consumers," Meatingplace.com, Megan Sweas, August 12, 2004
The National Chicken Council and US Poultry & Egg Association are initiating an advertising blitz to reach consumers and retailers of "poultry" products during September.
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/pop.asp?ID=12868
"Vietnam Culls Poultry in Bird Flu-Hit Province," Reuters / Planet Ark, August 17, 2004
Vietnam has killed more than 17,000 birds in the past month to prevent the spread of avian influenza, which has killed at least three people in the country.
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/26624/story.htm
"Imports Spark Disease Fears," Farm Weekly Interactive, Debbie James, August 16, 2004
The UK pig industry faces an increased risk of diseases due to growing imports of breeder pigs and semen from mainland Europe.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/article.asp?con=15713
"Vero Beach Company Pushes Limits to Grow Shrimp Bigger, Faster," Palm Beach Post, Susan Salisbury, August 16, 2004
A Florida company is the first in the US to attempt to develop an inland farm for breeding giant black tiger shrimp.
http://tinyurl.com/5tcrf (Palm
Beach Post website)
CONTENTS
- Pig Industry Reports Improvements in Handling and Transport
- Experts Criticize Western Diet Based on Meat and Dairy
- Cow "Rustling" (Stealing) on the Rise in the U.S.
- BSE Update: Canadians Sue the U.S.; Misleading Test Results
- Upcoming Farmed Animal Events: Next Three Months
- Other Items of Interest
RESOURCES
-------------------------------
Compiled and edited by Hedy Litke and Che Green, Farmed Animal Watch
is a free weekly electronic news digest of information concerning farmed
animal issues gleaned from an array of academic, industry, advocacy and
mainstream media sources.
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