Activist Group Exposes Animal Cruelty in Tasmanian Slaughterhouse

New footage showed pigs before they are stunned and killed. Photos by Farm Transparency Project

A activist group has released hidden camera footage of a northern Tasmanian slaughterhouse, showing still-conscious pigs being lowered into vats of boiling water and other apparently conscious pigs being killed and left to bleed out on the killing room floor.

The Farm Transparency Project said the secret footage taken of operations at Scottsdale Pork shows pigs being hit across the face and body, kicked and crushed with heavy metal doors by workers.

Despite being stunned electrically, pigs with slit throats showed signs of consciousness as they bled out or were lowered into the water vat, according to the activist group.

A picture of a abattoir worker apparently kicking pigs through a doorway leading to the kill room. Source: Farm Transparency Project

They also claimed that Scottsdale Pork built the abattoir through "shady backroom deals," with the government, and are demanding its closure.

"Despite being a private abattoir, primarily servicing Scottsdale Pork's own nearby piggery, Tasmania's Liberal government granted $2 million to Scottsdale Pork to assist in the build," Farm Transparency Project's statement read.

"This decision was heavily opposed by the Greens Party, due to the company's ties to the Exclusive Brethren religious group, whose leader holds widely documented transphobic and homophobic views and is a major donor and supporter of the Liberal party."

Greens leader Dr Rosalie Woodruff urged the Liberal government to take action after the emergence of the confronting footage.

"The situation at Scottsdale abattoir has been well known because there has not been CCTV monitoring in that abattoir, or other abattoirs in Tasmania," Dr Woodruff said.

"The Liberals have been aware of this for at least seven years and have done nothing."

"We have got five abattoirs showing systemic cruelty to animals and we have to have an immediate response from the minister," Dr Woodruff said.

After the emergence of footage from Tasmanian Quality Meats last year, Primary Industries Minister Jo Palmer announced a taskforce to review animal welfare standards at Tasmanian abattoirs, including the possibility of making installation of cameras mandatory.

On Thursday, she defended the government's decision in 2021 to give $2 million in funding to the owners of Scottsdale Pork.

"We were facing the situation where there was a threat that that facility was actually going to close, and that would have huge impacts on our Tasmanian farmers," she said.

"So we had to step up as a government to ensure we were able to process pork on island, to ensure that that was a good outcome for our farmers."

But she said it was "very disappointing" to see the new footage from Scottsdale Pork.

"There are standards that we expect all abattoirs across Tasmania to meet, and if they don't, there are consequences and we are seeing those consequences play out now.

"If Scottsdale Pork is found through investigations that they have not conducted their business property, there will be consequences," Ms Palmer said.

There were numerous abattoirs across the state that were performing their work properly, she added.

Management at Scottsdale Pork did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.