Day 115 - 06 Apr 95 - Page 05
1 abnormalities of partition between fat and lean which is
2 required by the market. That does not mean that it is in
3 other ways satisfactory for that sort of rearing.
4
5 Q. I hesitate to disagree with you, Dr. Long, but am I not
6 right that the original pietrains, or whatever it is, the
7 Belgium pig, was halothane positive?
8 A. Yes, it was. Some human beings are halothane positive
9 too. I am sorry, but it means that in the breeding one
10 very often brings in breeds into certain circumstances for
11 which they are manifestly ill equipped. Therefore, you
12 have to things by, if you like, mutilating them in some way
13 to overcome some of the stress and the strain and restraint
14 that you have imposed on them unnaturally.
15
16 Q. That is a feature of an intensive farming system, yes,
17 which you would rather see not exist at all; is that right?
18 A. Yes, and I would certainly prefer pigs that were more
19 suitable in more suitable conditions were used while it
20 goes on.
21
22 Q. Explain what you mean by that, please; first, the pigs and
23 then the conditions?
24 A. There are breeds of pigs that are not nearly so
25 prolific and in which one can revert more to what, say, The
26 Soil Association would do, but that would mean that the
27 pigs would have a less stressful life, but the customer
28 would have more stress in his pocket or her pocket and, of
29 course, producers would also have to find greater expense.
30
31 Q. Did you read, for example, Dr. Gregory's evidence about the
32 way in which Mr. Bowes' pigs were handled upon arrival at
33 the slaughterhouse and during the process of stunning? Did
34 you read that part of Dr. Gregory's evidence?
35 A. Yes, certain aspects of Mr. Bowes' operation had been,
36 well, I do not know how long that had been going on, but
37 they were commendable. They represent good practice in so
38 far as they apply to that group of pigs on that particular
39 farm.
40
41 Q. That is what I am driving at, you see, is really this and
42 perhaps we can cut ourselves extremely short this morning
43 if you will agree with this proposition: Given the
44 limitations which you see which are inherent, so far as
45 animal welfare is concerned, in the business of intensive
46 farming, do you not agree that Mr. Bowes' operation is an
47 outstandingly good example?
48 A. I do not think it is a good example. I would make one
49 point that I was not given the opportunity, although I said
50 I was quite willing to go and visit the farm with
51 Dr. Gregory or separately from Dr. Gregory. There were
52 many aspects in what I read -- I have just mentioned one --
53 which gave me cause for concern. So, I have seen other
54 farms. I have seen, for instance, Soil Association farms
55 where the conditions were far better or far less bad.
56
57 Q. Am I right that the way in which the pigs are handled at
58 the slaughterhouse is another example of a coincidence
59 between the interests of the producer and the interests of
60 the animal?
