Currently, aggressive campaigns are being run again by so-called animal-rights activists, this time on the subject of the castration of piglets.

It has been for a long time already that the German pig keepers regard animal protection to be a very serious topic. However, it is unavoidable that conflict arises in this connection concerning other protective interests, such as consumer protection, environment protection and labour protection.

With regard to the castration of piglets in particular, we are very carefully observing development and research in the neighbouring countries. At the end of 2007, we held an experts’ workshop at Bonn (North Rhine-Westphalia) at the initiative of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Züchtungskunde (DGfZ; German association for breeding science). Amongst others, the Deutsche Tierschutzbund (German humane society) participated in this workshop. During further talks with experts, we analysed, together with scientists and others involved from the food processing chain, various alternatives to the traditional ways of castrating piglets, then initiating studies on our own (German) account with regard to selective breeding, for instance, against boar smell. The current situation may be summarised as follows:

None of the alternative methods is applicable in practice straight away!

As far as we know, the carbon dioxide anaesthesia as is favoured in the Netherlands proves to be a problem of consequence with regard to animal protection, environment protection and labour protection. The same goes for isoflurane gas narcosis. Both methods demonstrably are not suitable for stunning the animals far enough to avoid them feeling the pain during castration.

The vaccination against boar smell (also called immuno-castration) as is propagated by Pfizer is being disapproved of because of the risks related to the vaccination and its effectiveness still being unclear.

The ideal solution to the problem would be to abstain completely from castration, if consumer protection could be granted for as a result of breeding- and / or technical methods (protection from foul-smelling meat). Research was initiated correspondingly.

What we think to be the most effective and most favourable short-term solution is pain therapy. In collaboration with other associations from the industry concerned, we called upon the pharmaceutical industry as well as the authorities to set up immediately the preconditions needed from the technical and lawful points of view to allow the pig keepers to apply pain killers as a matter of routine. Pain killers are already used in part, but according to the drug laws prior rededication of drugs is required for this purpose. Therefore, we are keen to find solutions to the problem which do not only work as an alibi but have sustainable effect with regard to all kinds of concern (animal protection, environment protection, labour protection).

We would very much welcome to be given credit for as well as to-the-point support in our efforts by those organisations to which animal protection is really meaningful. Emotional activism of a kind that we experience every now and then does not come up to the matter of concern but, to my mind, does only lead to wannabe-solutions which in truth do not at all serve animal protection.

It would be very unfortunate if the recent campaigns were conducive to such kind of wannabe-solutions.