Georgia: Dead Pigs “Disposed of” in the Sea
Animals dumped in the sea like garbage: Footage recently released by PETA shows how pigs suffer and die during an animal transport from Varna in Bulgaria to Batumi in Georgia. For four days at the end of July, the animals had to endure the ferry crossing through the Black Sea in trucks during scorching heat – without water, food, or medical care.
Animals dumped in the sea like garbage: Footage recently released by PETA shows how pigs suffer and die during an animal transport from Varna in Bulgaria to Batumi in Georgia. For four days at the end of July, the animals had to endure the ferry crossing through the Black Sea in trucks during scorching heat – without water, food, or medical care.
A witness observed approximately 40 apparently dead pigs being removed from the transport vehicles and thrown overboard – with reports that some were still alive. A video shows a dehydrated pig too weak to stand up. PETA has written letters to the responsible authorities in Bulgaria and Georgia. The animal rights organisation is calling for a ban on live animal transports.
Cruel Conditions the Norm for Years
«According to our informant, these conditions on animal transports across the Black Sea have been the norm for several years – they are the rule, not the exception. This is unacceptable,» said Lisa Kainz, agricultural scientist and expert adviser on animals in the food industry at PETA. «This case once again makes clear that animals are treated like inanimate goods and that laws are being disregarded across Europe. Controls are failing completely. Only a ban on transports can truly help the animals.»
Economic Reasons Behind the Animal Suffering
The fact that pigs and other animals are transported over long distances across national borders is purely for economic reasons. Livestock farming is highly specialized. This means that most animals are transported multiple times during their lives. It is cheaper to export animals alive and slaughter them on-site rather than transporting their meat abroad in a continuous cold chain. On the trucks or ships, the animals then typically suffer for days under extreme weather conditions, thirst, hunger, and stress. The EU transport regulation, which also applies outside the EU's borders as long as the animals originate from the EU, is regularly and dramatically disregarded. Inspections are rare, and penalties for violations are usually minimal.
Vegans not only lead healthier lives — each individual also spares up to 50 animals per year from death in factory farms, slaughterhouses, or on fishing boats. More on Animal Rights.
