By Tom Woolman, poultry industry consultant
Curiosity got the better of me. I have been following Joey Carbstrong on his YouTube channel.
The Australian vegan activist makes a living producing videos online where he showcases his activism. He is dark, charismatic and articulate. In many ways his videos remind me of a younger Russell Brand.
He has just produced a film targeting the pig sector which focuses on the use of ‘gas chambers’ for pre slaughter stunning. The film is as much an ego trip for Carbstrong as it is about the welfare of pigs. It ‘hams’ up his background (excuse the pun) as a reformed gang member turned ethical crusader, a modern-day St Paul.
The phrase ‘gas chambers’ has been jumped on by the vegan movement, much like the ‘Frankenchicken’ trope. They use it to convey an instantly shocking image to the public, without giving an opportunity for people to consider all the evidence involved.
An interview with Philip Lymbery is featured in the documentary, where he condemns the use of CO² in pig slaughterhouses. Now I know there are important differences in physiology between pigs and chickens, but is this a wise move when Compassion in World Farming is advocating consumers switch to the Better Chicken Commitment, which actually advocates the use of CO² as a slaughter method? I fear that this documentary will be used to condemn practices in the poultry industry which are actually being used to improve welfare.
If you think the House of Commons is engulfed in culture wars, the animal welfare sector is in a similar position. While the RSPCA have been recently under attack from farmer groups, they are increasingly under attack from a whole raft of animal rights organisations for not being hardline enough.
On his website, Joey Carbstrong criticises the RSPCA for including farmers on their technical committees. This is the bigoted view of someone who can’t accept that those who are closest to the process might actually have something to say on the subject. Before farmers bemoan the fact the RSPCA are out of touch and undermining the sector with their standards, remember they are the moderate voice which sits between the poultry sector and the rest of society. If they were gone, who would we be dealing with?
I’m a governor of a first school, and in the school we make sure that children are taught ‘British values’. This includes the importance of tolerance and accepting people with different beliefs to oneself. As an Aussie who has made his home in the UK, I think Joey Carbstrong could do with taking a few lessons himself.