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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1187 asked in the Legislative Council on 24 November 2009 by Hon Lynn Maclaren

Parliament: 38 Session: 1


PIGGERIES — ANIMAL HOUSING


1187. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food:

I ask my question following the disturbing revelations contained in the 60 Minutes segment that screened on 22 November on the housing of pigs in Australian piggeries.

(1) Will the minister act urgently to prohibit the use of sow stalls for all pregnant pigs?

(2) Will the minister act urgently to prohibit the use of farrowing crates in Western Australia, which tightly confine sows during birthing and nursing of piglets in Western Australia?

(3) Will the minister support a pig product labelling scheme to ensure that consumers are aware of the housing and husbandry conditions for all pig products, including those from intensive production systems?

(4) How many intensive piggeries are there presently in Western Australia; and, how many pigs are being farmed in them?

(5) Will the minister move to ensure that regular, unannounced government audits of piggeries take place to ensure that even the minimum standards are adhered to?

Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied:

I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the responsible minister, I provide the following responses —

(1) No; aggression between sows often increases in the early stages of pregnancy. Individual housing is a way of ensuring that pregnant animals are receiving appropriate nutrition and are protected from bullying and injury, which may lead to miscarriage. Restrictions on the use of sow stalls to house pregnant pigs have been agreed nationally, and are documented in the revised “Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals: Pigs”, third edition, endorsed by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council in April 2007.

(2) No; newborn piglets are highly vulnerable to being crushed to death by their mother. The temporary use of farrowing crates helps to protect small piglets from being crushed. Restrictions on the use of farrowing crates have been agreed nationally and documented in the revised “Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals: Pigs”, third edition, endorsed by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council in April 2007.

(3) No; labelling of pig products is a matter for the commercial sector that is best dealt with between pig producers, retailers and consumers.

(4) The Western Australian government does not record the number of intensive piggeries or the number of pigs farmed within them; however, advice from the minister’s department is that there are currently about 32 000 sows in WA, and that about 555 000 pigs were processed in 2008. The current industry estimate of the number of commercial pig producers is 160.

(5) Investigations of piggeries are conducted by the government on the basis of suspicion of animal welfare breaches, using the authority of the Animal Welfare Act 2002. Such investigations may involve staff from the minister’s department, but also the Department of Local Government and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.