President of the Animal Science Society: "Animal Welfare Policies Unaware of Reality Must Be Revised... Concerns Over Halving of the Pig Farming Industry"

Kim Yuyong, President of the Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology (Professor, Department of Animal Life Biotechnology, Seoul National University), is speaking at a press conference held on the 25th at the '2022 Asia-Pacific Animal Science Conference (AAAP)' at the Jeju International Convention Center in Seogwipo, Jeju. (Photo by Joint Press Corps of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

[Asia Economy Jeju=Reporter Son Sun-hee] Kim Yoo-yong, President of the Korean Society of Animal Science (Professor of Animal Biotechnology at Seoul National University), stated on the 25th, "Animal welfare claims made by people who are not specialized in livestock farming need to be revised," adding, "If animal welfare policies proceed recklessly as planned, I am seriously concerned that Korea's pig farming industry could be halved." This cautious remark reflects concerns that conceptual animal welfare advocated mainly by animal protection groups is too detached from reality, and if related policies are abruptly implemented, the domestic livestock industry could suffer significant damage.

At a press conference held at the Jeju International Convention Center in Seogwipo City, Jeju, during the '2022 Asia-Pacific Animal Science Conference (AAAP),' Kim emphasized, "Superficial animal welfare and animal welfare that is practical in reality are different."

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the '2nd Five-Year Comprehensive Plan for Animal Welfare' in 2020. This plan includes protection and welfare policies targeting not only companion animals but all livestock raised on farms. For example, it prohibits raising pregnant sows in tightly fitting stalls (gestation crates) and specifies welfare standards throughout the entire process, including raising, transportation, and slaughter.

However, Kim argues that such animal welfare policies threaten livestock farming because they are disconnected from reality. As someone who directly operates a pig farm, he explained, "Pigs tend to ostracize others, so in open spaces, stronger individuals intensely attack weaker ones, often causing miscarriages in pregnant sows or even killing among animals." He stressed, "Allowing pregnant sows to roam freely outside of stalls is merely 'what looks good to us,' not animal welfare from the pigs' perspective."

Kim, who visited European countries related to animal welfare with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Korea Pork Producers Association in early July, cited overseas examples: "In Denmark and the Netherlands, various experiments have been conducted, and they found that 92% of pregnant sows prefer to stay inside stalls after trying both confinement and open housing." According to Kim, Denmark has legally restricted the use of stalls for pregnant sows to only the first four weeks since 2013, but in reality, most farms do not comply, and the government overlooks this. This indicates a significant gap between policy and reality even in European countries where animal welfare was introduced earlier.

Kim also mentioned the rapidly shrinking UK pig farming industry following the introduction of animal welfare policies. He said, "Animal welfare in UK livestock farms began in earnest in 1997, but the number of sows, which was 804,000 at that time, dropped exactly by half to 402,000 as of the end of December last year," adding, "The UK's pig farming industry has collapsed." He continued, "Not only farmers but also related industries such as feed, slaughter, additives, and veterinary drugs lost their marketability and were sold off overseas," and "As a result, the UK imports 65% of its pork due to the collapse of its pig farming industry."

He expressed repeated concern, saying, "Korea has about 1 million sows and a self-sufficiency rate of around 73%. If animal welfare policies cause the number to be halved to 500,000 sows and the self-sufficiency rate drops to 35%, the livestock industry will inevitably collapse."

According to the government's comprehensive animal welfare plan, from 2030, the use of gestation crates in pig farms will be limited to only six weeks after insemination. Kim questioned, "In an unprepared situation like this, especially in a country like ours with lower productivity compared to Europe, can farms survive?" and answered himself, "Probably more than half will close." He appealed to policymakers, saying, "Animal protection groups insist on completely abolishing gestation crates, but if the industry is approached that way, there is no alternative," and urged, "That policy (limiting gestation crate use) really needs to be reconsidered."

Meanwhile, Kim strongly criticized the mass culling carried out during the previous Moon Jae-in administration in areas affected by African Swine Fever (ASF), calling it "not a quarantine policy but a slaughter policy."

Using Denmark as an example, where livestock farming is considered a key industry, Kim explained, "They controlled the disease by culling wild boars that spread the virus everywhere, but did not touch pig farms inside fences at all." He added, "Killing all pigs in an area just because 'ASF has broken out' like in our country is not quarantine," and pointed out, "If that policy had been successful, why does ASF keep appearing in wild boars when nearly 500,000 pigs have already been culled in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)?"

Kim identified the root of this problem as "inter-ministerial compartmentalization," stating, "Wild boars fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment, so no matter how much the Ministry of Agriculture insists on culling, if the other side opposes, it stops," and called for "the Prime Minister's Office to step in and readjust the coordination."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.