South Korea Buries Over One Million Pigs Alive

[wautd]

Link

South Korea has been heavily criticised for burying up to one million pigs alive as it grapples with a foot and mouth disease outbreak.

Since the first case of the disease was confirmed in November the country has embarked on a mass cull.

Foot and mouth disease affects all cloven hoofed animals such as pigs, cattle and goats, and any country that has cases of it is unable to export the animals' meat.

The South Korean government has so far refused to vaccinate pigs against the disease and is now slaughtering them in record numbers despite appeals to stop.

On January 4 in one area of Gangwon-Do, 33,900 pigs alone were destroyed, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) told Sky News Online that South Korea's actions contravene international guidelines.

Michele Danan from the organisation said: "Live vaccinations are the best route but if they do have to kill them we would prefer that they were at least slaughtered humanely."

The estimated cost of the cull so far is believed to have reached around £230m when a mass vaccination programme would have cost an estimated £63m.

Some animal rights campaigners have criticised the government for putting economic considerations ahead of animal welfare.

The Republic has begun inoculating cattle in some areas and the OIE reported on Thursday that sows and boars are starting to be vaccinated but only in a few locations.

It is believed the live burial of pigs began at Christmas and the figure is likely to climb far above the one million mark.

Joyce D’Silva, Director of Public Affairs for CIWF said: "Compassion in World Farming is appalled that the Republic of Korea is allegedly throwing pigs into pits and burying them alive.

"This is totally contrary to international guidelines on humane culling, which the Korean government endorsed five years ago.

"We urge the Korean government to end this horrendous practice at once and to ensure that, if animals are culled, this is done humanely."

Words fail me

There's also a vid but I don't have the stomach to watch it

[KlavoHunter]

Beeef-Piigs! To be cooked over hot nuclear coals! Delicious, da!


But seriously, aren't the vaccinated pigs then still unsuitable for sale as food? That was what I last heard. And "Humanely" dispatching tens of thousands of pigs would take an even greater emotional toll on the workers who are having to cull these animals than they already are by just burying them quickly with construction equipment.

[wautd]

But seriously, aren't the vaccinated pigs then still unsuitable for sale as food? That was what I last heard.

I guess sick animals will be, but I doubt vaccinated healthy pigs are

And "Humanely" dispatching tens of thousands of pigs would take an even greater emotional toll on the workers who are having to cull these animals than they already are by just burying them quickly with construction equipment.

I don't care for the emotional toll on these workers, because using grappling cranes and burrying them alive already is pretty much the most sadistic thing you can do. Seriously, it might have taken days for these animals to die.

[Todeswind]

Seriously? If they're not going to use the meat how complicated would it have been to at least gas the pigs with something that would just put them to sleep? I get not keeping them (even if it does feel a bit iffy to kill them en' masse and not eat them) but it can't possibly be substantially more effort to slit a pig's throat so it dies quickly and toss the corpse in a ditch than it is to shove a bunch of pigs in a hole.

This is just inhuman.

[wautd]

This is just inhuman.

Actually it's a very human thing to do, but that's the cynic in me.

[PeZook]

So...

Mass vaccination programme = 63 mil.

Mass culling = 230 mil

They probably want to go the fastest route to restoring meat exports, but goddamn, people! At least shoot the poor things beforehand :/

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

So...

Mass vaccination programme = 63 mil.

Mass culling = 230 mil

They probably want to go the fastest route to restoring meat exports, but goddamn, people! At least shoot the poor things beforehand :/

If Asian cheapskateness is of any guide, I think they just picked the cheapest option and just did it.

And shooting pigs cost money.

[Wing Commander MAD]

But seriously, aren't the vaccinated pigs then still unsuitable for sale as food? That was what I last heard.

I guess sick animals will be, but I doubt vaccinated healthy pigs are

And "Humanely" dispatching tens of thousands of pigs would take an even greater emotional toll on the workers who are having to cull these animals than they already are by just burying them quickly with construction equipment.

I don't care for the emotional toll on these workers, because using grappling cranes and burrying them alive already is pretty much the most sadistic thing you can do. Seriously, it might have taken days for these animals to die.

How are you figuring days? If the hole in the linked video is any indication of what's typical, that's going to take several tons of dirt to fill. I'm not saying I agree with the method, but being buried alive is not something that kills you in days, more like minutes if not instantaneously. Suffocation, is how they'd die if they didn't suffer massive internal damage by being crushed by the sheer weight of the dirt. The animals in the photo in the linked article look like they may be worse off than what is shown in the video, but even then your probably looking at hours for them to die for the animals on top (I'm specifically thinking of injuries from the fall). It really would depend I suppose on how frequently new animals are added, as I sincerely doubt that they'd survive having several tons of other pigs/dirt dumped on top of them.

Once again, I don't agree with the method or condone it, but I am curios as to how you arrived at the days figure as to my knowledge death by mechanical means such as crushing tend to be rather quick, and suffocation still comparatively quick.

[someone_else]

At least they aren't converting ill animals in cow food, like other did some time ago for BSE.

[PeZook]

You know, from that video, it doesn't even seem to go faster than killing the pigs with boltguns/actual guns before dumping them into the pit. Not only do they drop the pigs one by one, the workers have to occasionally run around forcing live pigs into the pit as they desperately try to escape their fate.

I don't see how it's efficient or economical at all. Bullets don't cost that much, pneumatic boltguns are even cheaper (and safe) to use.

[Thanas]

This is disgusting and barbaric.

[wautd]

But seriously, aren't the vaccinated pigs then still unsuitable for sale as food? That was what I last heard.

I guess sick animals will be, but I doubt vaccinated healthy pigs are

And "Humanely" dispatching tens of thousands of pigs would take an even greater emotional toll on the workers who are having to cull these animals than they already are by just burying them quickly with construction equipment.

I don't care for the emotional toll on these workers, because using grappling cranes and burrying them alive already is pretty much the most sadistic thing you can do. Seriously, it might have taken days for these animals to die.

How are you figuring days? If the hole in the linked video is any indication of what's typical, that's going to take several tons of dirt to fill. I'm not saying I agree with the method, but being buried alive is not something that kills you in days, more like minutes if not instantaneously. Suffocation, is how they'd die if they didn't suffer massive internal damage by being crushed by the sheer weight of the dirt.

Most will probably suffocate, but there's still the chance of airpockets.

[Isolder74]

I went to PETA's home page to check, yes I hate myself now, and they've got nothing on this. Seems they don't care as much as claim to. Maybe they will jump on the bandwagon later but right now they get a F.

Their number 1 story right now is about a shelter trying very hard to deal with a case of a large number of cats they have to deal with after confiscation from an animal hoarder. Their complaint, the poor cats are in bad health and who do they blame, the shelter. No their condition is the result of the hoarder you idiots.

[CaptHawkeye]

This is pretty fucking sad honestly. I was watching the video and really couldn't help but draw holocaust parallels in my head.

I mean I know they're animals but christ. Was this necessary?

EDIT: Who gives a shit how quickly they'd die after being buried? Why are they burying them alive at fucking all?

[Wing Commander MAD]

It certainly wasn't necessary, as to why: cost, laziness, squeemishness, or simply not giving a damn, take your pick or add one to the list. Honestly, I can't say I'm shocked by such things happening anymore. I may be angered and saddened/disgusted, but not surprised in the least as I've become far too cynical and jaded for that. Mind you that probably explains rather dispassionate interest in the mechanics of the situation.

[Sea Skimmer]

You know, from that video, it doesn't even seem to go faster than killing the pigs with boltguns/actual guns before dumping them into the pit. Not only do they drop the pigs one by one, the workers have to occasionally run around forcing live pigs into the pit as they desperately try to escape their fate.

I don't see how it's efficient or economical at all. Bullets don't cost that much, pneumatic boltguns are even cheaper (and safe) to use.

What do you think the odds are of something going wrong in terms of human death shooting one million pigs? Live ammo would work, but it’s a bad idea when you are doing this on random farmland. Boltguns only work if you already have the animal restrained, and you’d still have all the pigs panicked like all hell. its not like a ‘normal’ kill of a pig in a slaughterhouse is anything but terrifying for the animal anyway. I don’t like this, but killing heavy animals en mass is not an easy thing. I'm sure it is economical, I have no doubts in fact; you have to dig the pit for the bodies and get the pig bodies in the pit either way, and I presume they back fill with a bulldozer and bury all the pigs alive in 1-2 minutes work.