Meat&Poultry - November 2011 - 48

HUMANE SLAUGHTER

Testing of the Cash stunner yielded effective stunning and could be used in an alligator production scenario. (Photo
courtesy of Bunzl)

animal agricultural commodities, and aquaculture may be faced with the same challenges.”

Addressing alligators
Like the aquaculture industry, proactive alligator processors are looking at ways to advance animal-welfare issues. Unlike the aquaculture industry, there are no international standards of animal welfare for crocodilian species. Javier Nevarez is professor of zoological medicine at the Louisiana State Univ. School of Veterinary Medicine, and has been a veterinarian for the alligator industry since 2003. He is currently working on a study focused on humane slaughter in the alligator industry. Currently, alligators are immobilized by a knife cut that severs the spinal cord just behind the skull. This takes a skilled hand, and is considerably less than 100-percent effective on

There is no doubt that the concepts of animal welfare, including humane slaughter, will become a reality among all production animals in countries around the world.
the first attempt. Less than desirable, it inflicts pain on the gator, and poses an element of risk for the knife operator. Commenting on the state of the industry and animal welfare, he says “There are no set standards and no previous scientific euthanasia studies in the crocodilian species. The Louisiana alligator industry has been proactive,” studying factors such as the effects of various methods of euthanasia. Among the methods being studied by Nevarez is the non-penetrat-

ing captive-bolt stunner. “We have investigated the use of the captivebolt stunner as part of a larger study evaluating various euthanasia methods for alligators,” he says. Aided by Bunzl’s Chuck Bildstein, the research is using the Accles and Shelvoke nonpenetrating captive-bolt stunner. Alligators present obstacles in the research including the safety procedures involved with handling alligators. “Alligators are quite strong and agile animals. The main threat for personnel is from potential bites. Only experienced personnel are utilized when working with them,” Nevarez says. Similar to water buffalo and sturgeon, it was important to understand the morphology of the alligator head to locate the most effective stunning position. The study used CT (computed tomography) along with the experience gained working with alligators to identify the stunning “sweet spot.” “This allowed us to identify consistent landmarks for the correct positioning of the unit,” Nevarez adds. As the research is ongoing and has not been published, Bildstein reports the testing of the Cash stunner yielded effective stunning and could be used in an alligator production scenario. Whether it becomes the method of choice remains to be seen.

Humane slaughter expands
Mainstream meat production in North America has seen ongoing improvement in the area of animal welfare. Equipment manufacturers like Jarvis, Accles and Shelvoke have responded to the need to effectively stun “first time, every time.” This improved stunning technology is fi nding a place in humane slaughter in an expanding list of non-traditional species in countries throughout the world. Conte’s comments echo what is true in a growing number of meat production species: “We have no doubts that concepts of aquatic animal welfare, including humane slaughter, will be adopted by the US aquaculture industry in the future. Market pressures have already influenced the industry to take more proactive steps in this direction.” There is no doubt the concepts of animal welfare, including humane slaughter, will become a reality among all production animals in countries around the world. ■
A 30-year veteran of processing-plant operations, Jerry Karczewski is a contributing editor based in Oconomowoc, Wis., and owner of Karczewski Consulting (www.diversecattle.com), which provides humane handling and plant operations consulting. For more information, call (262)4908293 or email jerry_karczewski@live.com. We would like to hear from you – to comment on this story or to request reprints, contact us by email at meatpoultry@sosland.com.

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