LONDON: The New Zealand government has banned the use of what animal rights activists say are “cruel” sow stalls. Pig farmers in the country must now changer their raising methods or face the heavy hand of the law. But the ban won't go into immediate effect. According to the new legislation, a complete ban on sow stalls will take place starting in 2016, leaving activists slightly frustrated. “We have been fighting hard against these cruel methods for years and now we finally have something show for it,” said Jason Turngate, an Australian activist. He told Bikya Masr that “the government should have made the ban come into effect sooner because we will still have thousands of animals being subjected to these inhumane and horrifying pens.” Much of the credit, Turngate and other groups say, is partly due to a television ban that showed pigs' suffering when confined to the stalls and crates. Part of the televised footage, which led to widespread outrage, was filmed at a large commercial piggery in rural Carterton. The ban does not include farrowing crates which animal-rights group SAFE says is disappointing. SAFE director Hans Kriek said while his organization was delighted with the looming ban on sow crates, farrowing crates were an equally cruel confinement system. “It is great to know sow stalls are finally going after so much lobbying and campaigning but we remain mindful that pigs are not yet free,” Kriek said in comments carried by Australian newspapers. SAFE said public opinion had beaten down the pork industry in its determination to resist the law change. Kriek added that SAFE would step up its consumer focus to encourage supermarkets not to stock pork products sourced from pig farms that used sow stalls. “It is up to consumers to get pigs out of these cruel crates sooner than 2016.” Australia has already banned the use of the sow stalls. BM
