ABOVE: Very substantial welfare practices go on behind the scenes, it’s not a façade. Photo: Lauren McConachie
According to Agriculture Victoria, the state’s pig welfare standards are “broadly consistent” with those of other countries.
Executive director of animal welfare at the department Dr Trevor Pisciotta said the pig husbandry and slaughter practices used in the state line up with those elsewhere.
“There is a wide range of different animal husbandry practices that are practised across various jurisdictions,” Dr Pisciotta said.
“What’s permissible under the Victorian regulatory system is broadly consistent with both the other Australian jurisdictions and the other international jurisdictions.”
Dr Pisciotta was speaking during a day of hearings as part of the Victorian Parliament’s Legislative Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee’s inquiry into pig welfare.
The committee had heard from farm representatives and animal welfare groups previously.
Bev McArthur, a member of the committee overseeing the inquiry, questioned Agriculture Victoria officials over suggestions by animal welfare groups that there was no way to farm pigs ethically.
The department’s biosecurity executive director Dr Katherine Clift said complaints from the public about pig welfare and within this, pig slaughter, were minimal.
“Since 2018, Agriculture Victoria has received nearly 8000 animal welfare complaints in total, across all of the complaints that we receive, not just for the pig sector,” Dr Clift said.
Only 179 of these complaints involved pigs, she added.
“In those, we had 41 substantiated complaints and the majority of those were related to pigs on farms.”
“We had six that involved pigs at abattoirs.”
Dr Clift explained this meant that only 0.1 percent of the substantiated animal welfare complaints made by the Victorian public since 2018 involved pig abattoirs.
Ms McArthur said this seemed like a “very small number given we’re led to believe this is a dreadfully cruel industry.”
“Certainly, it’s a very small proportion of the complaints that we receive,” Dr Clift responded.
“The most common complaints that we receive relate to matters of availability – food, water and shelter.”
She said if welfare issues do arise, there is generally a high resolution rate on pig farms and in abattoirs.
“We have a range of regulatory outcomes that we employ that can include the provision of educational materials, advisory letters.”
“In some cases, we take further regulatory action if necessary.”
Speaking on behalf of the Australian Veterinary Association, pig vet Andrew Morris agreed with the outlook from Agriculture Victoria.
“In my experience, Victoria and by extension the rest of Victoria has very high welfare standards that are adopted willingly,” Mr Morris said.
Therefore, it’s not a façade, he added.
“It’s very substantial the welfare practices that go on behind the scenes.”
The committee intended to table its final report, including recommendations, to the Victorian Parliament by May 31, 2024.
Agriculture Victoria executive director biosecurity Katherine Clift.
