Bem-estar animal em suínos ao abate: aplicação de protocolos Welfare Quality® em matadouros de suínos
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2015-05-13
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Devido à crescente importância que o bem-estar animal assume,
principalmente no seio das populações ocidentais, a Comissão Europeia procurou dar
resposta aos seus concidadãos através da criação de projectos capacitados para o
efeito. Deste modo surge o projecto Welfare Quality® com a incumbência de se
desenvolverem protocolos de monitorização de bem-estar animal. Este projecto visa
estabelecer critérios de avaliação de bem-estar animal aplicado às várias espécies
domésticas, quer ao nível do sector de produção quer ao nível do sector do abate.
Devido à amplitude do tema, formaram-se vários grupos de trabalho com a intenção
de se estudarem os diferentes sectores e as diferentes espécies.
O objecto de estudo desta tese centra-se no bem-estar animal ao nível do
matadouro, aplicado especificamente à espécie suína.
Como ponto de partida para a realização deste estudo existiu uma verdadeira
ponderação no sentido de selecionar um conjunto de operadores económicos que
representasse, na medida do possível, a heterogeneidade deste sector no panorama
português. Assim as observações indicadas no presente trabalho derivam da
avaliação de oito matadouros dispersos geograficamente pelo território nacional.
Para o pleno cumprimento dos protocolos Welfare Quality®, houve a
necessidade de acompanhar todas as actividades desenvolvidas pelos matadouros,
compreendidas entre a chegada do transporte e a occisão dos animais.
Através da realização deste trabalho foi possível associar situações de
ausência de bem-estar animal a problemas concretos existentes nos matadouros.
Sublinha-se o facto de estes protocolos focalizarem a sua atenção no comportamento
animal, sendo que deste modo o contraste nas observações resultam do somatório
das variáveis relativas não só ao estado de saúde dos animais mas também à
qualidade do maneio e às condições logisticas e estruturais oferecidas pelos
matadouros. Na sequência do anteriormente referido, para a maioria das observações,
as diferenças encontradas entre os matadouros atribuem-se à própria instalação e
gestão do matadouro, tais como relutância ao movimento, comportamentos de voltaratrás,
resvalos e quedas ou a eficácia da insensibilização, em oposição à observação
de parâmetros como a presença de claudicações, animais doentes e mortos ou a
presença de lesões nas vísceras, medidas que fornecem informação sobre as
condições de transporte e locais de origem dos animais.
No que concerne ao momento da descarga foram analisados 5994 animais para um
total de 5 parâmetros distintos, relutância ao movimento, voltar-atrás, quedas, resvalos, claudicações. A título de exemplo, neste estudo o parâmetro relativo a queda
foi observado em média 2,03% para o total de animais e para o parâmetro relativo a
resvalo observou-se em 9,51%. Foi registado o número total de animais mortos, cuja
observação se traduziu em 0,06% e debilitados fisicamente à chegada ao matadouro
com resultados de 0,08%. Nos parques de espera foram avaliados 3040 animais
avaliando-se a densidade e a percentagem de animais com comportamento indicativo
de stresse térmico (tremores, animais ofegantes e comportamento de amontoamento).
A eficácia da insensibilização, alterações nas vísceras e lesões cutâneas foram
avaliadas em 60 animais por matadouro. A variação dos sinais de consciência
detetada entre os matadouros do nosso estudo associam-se ao tipo de equipamento
(equipamento eléctrico manual, equipamento eléctrico automático, câmara de CO2) e
ao modo como o mesmo foi aplicado para a produção de inconsciência nos animais.
As a result of the increasing importance that the animal welfare assumes, mainly within the western population, the European Comission sought to respond to their fellow citizens through the creation of qualified projects as the Welfare Quality®. Thus, this project arises with the task of being developed protocols for monitoring animal welfare and by this way establish criteria for the assessment of animal welfare applied to several domestic species, both in the production sector level or at the slaughterhouses. Due to the breadth of the subject, several working groups were created with the intention of studying the different sectors and the different species. Therefore, the object of study of this thesis focuses on animal welfare at pig slaughterhouses. As a starting point for this study, there was a real sense of weight, in selecting a set of slaughterhouses that represent, as far as possible, the heterogeneity of this sector on the national scene, then the observations given in this work are derived from the evaluation of eight slaughterhouses, geographically dispersed throughout the country. For full compliance with the Welfare Quality® protocol, there was a need to monitor all activities by slaughterhouses, between the arrival of the transport and killing of animals. Through this work it was possible to associate situations that represent lack of animal welfare with existing concrete problems in slaughterhouses. Must be highlighted the fact that these protocols focus their attention on animal behavior and thus the difference in observations results from combining variables relating not only to health condition of animals, but also the quality of management and structural conditions offered by slaughterhouses. In sequence of the aforementioned, for the majority of measures, any differences between slaughterhouses were found to be attributable to the installation itself and the management of slaughterhouse such as generalised fear, slipping and falling or stunning effectiveness, as opposed to measures taken to evaluate transport conditions or farm origin, such as lameness, sick and dead animals or slaughter checks. With respect to the unloading, 5994 animals were analyzed for a total of 5 different parameters, reluctance to move, turning back, falling, slipping and lameness. For example, in this study, falling was observed on average 2.03% and 9.51% for the parameter concerning slipping. The total number of dead and sick animals was recorded on the arrival at the plant. In the holding pens 3040 animals were assessed by evaluating the stocking density and percent of animals with behavior indicative of thermal stress, such as panting, shivering and huddling. Stunning effectiveness, slaughter checks and skin lesions were also assessed in 60 animals per slaughterhouse. The differences of the consciousness signals detected between the slaughterhouses of our study are associated with the type of equipment (manual electric equipment, automatic electrical equipment, CO2 chamber), and the way it has been applied to produce unconsciousness in animals.
As a result of the increasing importance that the animal welfare assumes, mainly within the western population, the European Comission sought to respond to their fellow citizens through the creation of qualified projects as the Welfare Quality®. Thus, this project arises with the task of being developed protocols for monitoring animal welfare and by this way establish criteria for the assessment of animal welfare applied to several domestic species, both in the production sector level or at the slaughterhouses. Due to the breadth of the subject, several working groups were created with the intention of studying the different sectors and the different species. Therefore, the object of study of this thesis focuses on animal welfare at pig slaughterhouses. As a starting point for this study, there was a real sense of weight, in selecting a set of slaughterhouses that represent, as far as possible, the heterogeneity of this sector on the national scene, then the observations given in this work are derived from the evaluation of eight slaughterhouses, geographically dispersed throughout the country. For full compliance with the Welfare Quality® protocol, there was a need to monitor all activities by slaughterhouses, between the arrival of the transport and killing of animals. Through this work it was possible to associate situations that represent lack of animal welfare with existing concrete problems in slaughterhouses. Must be highlighted the fact that these protocols focus their attention on animal behavior and thus the difference in observations results from combining variables relating not only to health condition of animals, but also the quality of management and structural conditions offered by slaughterhouses. In sequence of the aforementioned, for the majority of measures, any differences between slaughterhouses were found to be attributable to the installation itself and the management of slaughterhouse such as generalised fear, slipping and falling or stunning effectiveness, as opposed to measures taken to evaluate transport conditions or farm origin, such as lameness, sick and dead animals or slaughter checks. With respect to the unloading, 5994 animals were analyzed for a total of 5 different parameters, reluctance to move, turning back, falling, slipping and lameness. For example, in this study, falling was observed on average 2.03% and 9.51% for the parameter concerning slipping. The total number of dead and sick animals was recorded on the arrival at the plant. In the holding pens 3040 animals were assessed by evaluating the stocking density and percent of animals with behavior indicative of thermal stress, such as panting, shivering and huddling. Stunning effectiveness, slaughter checks and skin lesions were also assessed in 60 animals per slaughterhouse. The differences of the consciousness signals detected between the slaughterhouses of our study are associated with the type of equipment (manual electric equipment, automatic electrical equipment, CO2 chamber), and the way it has been applied to produce unconsciousness in animals.
Descrição
Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária, Ciências Veterinárias
Palavras-chave
Matadouro , Bem-estar animal , Suíno , Protocolo Welfare Quality