April 4, 2000

Bellamys must set example over factory farming

Wellington Green MP Sue Kedgley is calling on Parliament to stipulate Bellamys does not serve pork from pig farms that use sow crates.

Some sow stalls are only 60 centimetres wide, and prevent the pigs from walking or even turning around. By serving pork that came from pigs raised in factory farms that use "dry sow stalls", Parliament was condoning such cruel conditions, Ms Kedgley said. Ms Kedgley will issue her call at a rally at Parliament at 12.40pm today (Tues), at which the Wellington SPCA, Save Animals From Experiments (SAFE), Animal Action and the Body Shop will present a petition, signed by more than 75,000 New Zealanders, calling for dry sow stalls to be phased out in New Zealand.

The Green Party supports the call for the phasing out of extreme confinement systems such as sow crates which treat animals cruelly, she said.

"The dry sow stall has been banned in England and is condemned internationally as cruel and unnecessary. Parliament needs to lead by example on this issue. Last year it passed legislation calling for an end to farming practices which do not allow animals to express normal patterns of behaviour.

"Sows confined to dry sow stalls in factory farms are treated cruelly, and are unable to exhibit normal expressions of behaviour," Ms Kedgley said. "They can't walk or turn around, and are confined to a space only 60 centimetres wide for 4 months at a stretch for up to 4 years. We would not allow dogs and other domestic animals to be mistreated in this way.

"There is no point in asking the rest of New Zealand to treat animals humanely if we continue to eat meat from animals which have been treated inhumanely," she said.

Ms Kedgley has placed the issue of not buying intensively farmed pork onto the next agenda of the House Committee which oversees catering facilities in Parliament. Ms Kedgley represents the Green Party on the House Committee.

Sue Kedgley MP 025 2709088 Paul Bensemann, Press Secretary 021 214 2665

© Scoop Media