Protesters gathered outside Leinster House today to object to the “absurd and cruel” Government flying live pigs to China.
Animal welfare activists held the demonstration against the export of high-quality breeding pigs to China because the country was forced to slaughter 200 million animals in 2019 due to Swine Fever.
Caroline Rowley, Director of Ethical Farming Ireland warned that the trip to China would be terrifying for live pigs.
She said: “Pigs are very sensitive and intelligent animals.
“They stress easily, they don’t travel well and they are going to be packed into crates and loaded into cargo planes.
“It is going to be extremely noisy which is going to cause them great anxiety.
“They are going to be dealing with the turbulence and changes in air pressure – it is going to be terrifying for them frankly.”
Ms Rowley believes that it is wrong to send live animals to a place where there are no laws to protect animals.
“It is not actually illegal to be cruel to animals and there is no requirement to stun before slaughter - they are going for breeding but of course they will end up being slaughtered – and it is just completely unnecessary to send them in this day and age,” she continued.
“We can send semen; we can send embryos; there are other ways of doing this without transporting animals halfway around the world.”
Ms Rowley highlighted that China’s pig industry is mostly intensive which means that the animals will be kept in cramped conditions indoors.
This trade deal will also include the exchange of sheep meat, which the Irish Government has described as an “important milestone” in gaining access to the profit-making Chinese market.
Musicians Cathy Davey and Neil Hannon, and Fr Ted actress Pauline McLynn joined animal rights activists this afternoon.
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