Chickens gassed if strike continues
A halt in slaughter operations is leading to overcrowding at poultry farms. Photo: Kristján Kristjánsson
Ongoing strike action by State-employed vets in Iceland is beginning to affect innocent animals and is harmful to animal welfare, according to Steinþór Skúlason, Director of the Southern Iceland Abattoir Association (‘Sláturfélag Suðurands’ – SS).
On strike since Monday
Vets from the Icelandic Veterinary Association who are members of the Iceland Association of Academics (BHM) have been on strike since Monday. One of these vets must always be present when animals are slaughtered.
Ongoing industrial action has therefore meant that animals are not being slaughtered at the usual rate and almost no exemptions from the rule are being granted. This halt in slaughter operations is already causing overcrowding at poultry farms in Iceland.
Overcrowding against animal welfare
“When overcrowding reaches a certain point, animal welfare is compromised,” indicates Skúlason. “It has now reached a point where I consider it to be an infringement of animal-welfare legislation.”
In order to solve the problem of poultry overcrowding and reduce numbers to acceptable levels, farmers may be forced to destroy surplus chickens with gas and simply bury them.
Should strike action continue, overcrowding could also start to affect pig farms, it is warned.
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