Tasmanian abattoir must close immediately over animal cruelty claims, RSPCA says

The RSPCA has called for the immediate closure of a Tasmanian abattoir accused of severe animal cruelty.

The ABC has obtained graphic vision that animal welfare groups said showed the prolonged and unlawful suffering of pigs, sheep and cows at the facility.

The abattoir in the Derwent Valley, north of Hobart, strongly denied the claims, and said its operation was lawful and that it would take legal action.

Animal Liberation said the vision was filmed over four days last month and came from an anonymous source.

The RSPCA said it had identified seven key failings from the 30-minute video:

• Lack of adequate restraint during stunning, causing unnecessary suffering;
• Multiple instances of ineffective stunning of cattle, pigs and sheep, causing unnecessary suffering;
• Repeated stunning using the same captive bolt device, causing unnecessary suffering;
• Inappropriate use of a captive bolt device on a large pig, causing unnecessary suffering;
• Prolonged restraint of cattle prior to ineffective stunning;
• Poorly designed ramp and pens; and
• Abusive behaviour from a worker.

RSPCA chief science and strategy officer Bidda Jones said the video was sickening to watch.

Dr Jones said the most disturbing part of the footage was animals being repeatedly ineffectively stunned.

"That is a problem that should not occur and certainly should not occur even once or twice, but this was multiple animals are being ineffectively stunned," she said.

"So what that means is that when they're being slaughtered they are not fully unconscious, that means they are suffering unnecessarily."

The abattoir has maintained the animals in the video were unconscious and the movement was a result of nerves.

Dr Jones said the abattoir should be closed while the state's Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) investigated.

She also called into question the effectiveness of the department's auditing processes.

"What this footage shows is that the standards for auditing in sections of domestic abattoirs in Tasmania clearly needs to looked at as well," she said.

On Friday the operator of Gretna Quality Meats, Michael Munning, said he trusted his workers and dismissed claims of cruelty.

A DPIPWE spokesperson has said it was taking the allegations seriously and was investigating for breaches of the Animal Welfare Act.