Piglet castration in Europe (PIGCAS)
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Research partners: Eleven core partners from across Europe, including University of Newcastle. Thirty-six participants as country contact persons, including BPEX.
Sponsors: European Sixth Framework Programme, participants
Project duration: 2007 -2008
There is an underlying desire amongst the majority of stakeholders to reduce the need for castration of pigs in Europe with a number of countries moving towards restricting castration practice. The project is aimed at providing the European Commission with information to support decision-making. Information will be gathered on both existing practices in the EU and attitudes of consumer groups, Non Governmental Organisations (welfare groups) and industry stakeholders regarding castration.
The project has the following objectives:
- To collect information on the attitudes of relevant stakeholders
- To collect information on the practice of pig castration
- To evaluate research work and other information to examine the various alternatives to surgical castration without anaesthesia and derive research priorities
- To integrate the collected information and evaluation in a report providing support for EU policy
BPEX has participated as country contact for two work packages. Stakeholders in GB have been surveyed using a questionnaire designed by the project group. Stakeholders meetings discussed the issues arising from the survey and provided further insights into areas of divergence and convergence between different stakeholder groups. There is a general ambition to see castration cease but difference in opinion as to the timescale under which this was reasonable and the preferred alternatives.
BPEX has also provided scientific expertise in undertaking an update of the European Food Safety Authority report on castration. This has now been submitted for peer reviewed publication.
Participation in the project has given access to information on practice and attitudes related to castration in the EU and an opportunity to provide input to the proposed research priorities that have been be presented to the European Commission as part of the final report of the project.