Day 097 - 06 Mar 95 - Page 45


     
     1        A.  He is involved with the procurement of animals.
     2
     3   Q.   Procurement?
     4        A.  Yes.
     5
     6   Q.   He has a specific animal welfare responsibility, does he?
     7        A.  He does, yes.
     8
     9   Q.   You said he inspected the animals on arrival; is it a "he"?
    10        A.  It is a "he", yes.
    11
    12   Q.   He inspects the animals on arrival; is that right?
    13        A.  Yes.  He will inspect them for any sort of signs of
    14        distress or disease.  He will not -- he will oversee that
    15        inspection.  I am not saying that he actually inspects
    16        every single animal himself like the vets do.
    17
    18   Q.   How difficult a task is it, the unloading of cattle from a
    19        truck?
    20        A.  I would not say it is very difficult really.  Again it
    21        is something that varies.  You can get cattle which unload
    22        very easily and cattle which do not unload so easily.
    23
    24   Q.   Is it job that needs a bit of training and experience?
    25        A.  Certainly, yes.
    26
    27   Q.   It does.  Do you train your stockmen?
    28        A.  Everybody is trained in the job they do, yes.
    29
    30   Q.   Everybody is trained.  Are the people who are specifically
    31        trained in the handling of animals?
    32        A.  We have an Animal Welfare Training Programme, yes.
    33
    34   Q.   What would you do if you found that one of your people who
    35        has been trained to handle the animals and look after them
    36        before they are slaughtered was mistreated, what would you
    37        do?
    38        A.  Obviously, it would be subject to disciplinary action,
    39        the severity of which would depend on the offence.
    40
    41   Q.   Yes, I understand, but you would take action?
    42        A.  Certainly, yes.
    43
    44   Q.   It would be certainly be suggested to you by the Defendants
    45        that you do not care about the welfare of the animals which
    46        you slaughter; is that true or false?
    47        A.  It is not true at all.  We certainly do care about the
    48        animals' welfare, for commercial reasons as much as
    49        anything else so ......
    50 
    51   Q.   Quite.  Explain, please, what the commercial reasons are 
    52        why animal welfare matters? 
    53        A.  If an animal is subjected to stress prior to slaughter,
    54        the carcass at the end of the slaughter line or after
    55        chilling becomes dark and generally sort of aesthetically
    56        unpleasing to whoever is looking at it.
    57
    58   Q.   What would you then have to do with the meat?
    59        A.  It is devalued quite considerably.
    60

Prev Next Index