Day 114 - 04 Apr 95 - Page 49


     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Give us the reference.
     2
     3   MR. MORRIS:  It is page 32, point 128:  "In a high proportion of
     4        the low voltage electrical stunning operations we have seen
     5        on batches of pigs or sheep", forget sheep, "the
     6        positioning of the tongs has been inaccurate.  It was all
     7        too common for the tongs to be used as a method of catching
     8        and immobilizing the animal rather than as an accurately
     9        placed and effective stunning instrument".  Does that
    10        accord with your experiences of the industry?
    11        A.  Yes.  This was written in 1984, of course.  It
    12        corresponds to what I was calling "stinging" this morning,
    13        where the tongs might be applied just to give the
    14        paralysing shock so the pig could not struggle and run
    15        away.  That is cruel for the reasons that I have explained.
    16
    17   Q.   Does it happen?
    18        A.  It happens, yes.  I would say that it is possibly less
    19        frequent now because, as a result of animal welfarists and,
    20        of course, this has been a very influential report, steps
    21        have been taken to prevent its occurring.  I have mentioned
    22        to you the idea of having a system where the next pig
    23        cannot be stuck until the proper charge has been delivered,
    24        cannot be stunned until the previous charge had been
    25        properly delivered.  This would put paid to this practice.
    26
    27   Q.   Dr. Gregory said in his statement on page 9, point 1, about
    28        the pigs stunning:  "At the start of the stunning" -- this
    29        is for Bowes which supplies McKey's which supplies
    30        McDonald's -- "At the start of stunning the tongs were
    31        usually placed across the neck of the pig.  Once the pig
    32        had fallen to the ground the tongs were repositioned with
    33        one electrode over an eye and the other electrode behind
    34        the opposite ear".  Is there anything there of any
    35        particular concern about that, apart from the all other
    36        things you said?
    37        A.  Yes, you did not tell me what the voltage or the amps.
    38
    39   Q.   That is another question.
    40        A.  Well, they were wrongly placed.  That is really --
    41        I mean, it does depend, if it was a very hefty amperage, it
    42        might have been done the job in a hit and miss way.
    43
    44   Q.   If it was less than 1.3 amps, would it concern you?
    45        A.  Yes, it always concerns me if it is less than 1.3
    46        amps.  That is what is recommended by the Ministry.
    47
    48   Q.   So that description of what they were doing there would
    49        particularly concern you?
    50        A.  It would suggest to me that things were not going 
    51        right. 
    52 
    53   Q.   I notice in the Farm Welfare Council pamphlet on page 33
    54        point 129 that they express concerns over whether, in fact,
    55        the seven seconds is adhered to:  "We were particularly
    56        concerned therefore to find that in far too many of the
    57        cases seen application was for less than seven seconds".
    58        A.  Could you just tell me the paragraph?
    59
    60   Q.   That was 129.

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