The German Animal Welfare Federation welcomes the fact that the surveillance authority ESA of the European Free Trade Association has called on Iceland to fulfill its obligations to protect animals. The background to this is the taking of blood from pregnant mares to obtain the hormone Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG), also known as Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG). Because this is associated with massive animal welfare problems, the German Animal Welfare Federation, together with other animal welfare organizations, lodged a complaint with the ESA. PMSG is used for economic reasons to make work easier and to increase efficiency and yield, especially in breeding sows, but also in other farm animals.
"It is pleasing to see that the ESA is taking its responsibility to ensure that Iceland is committed to protecting pregnant mares. The use of PMSG is widespread in livestock farming and correspondingly lucrative for Icelandic blood farms, even though the extraction of the hormone is associated with pain, suffering and harm to the mares and there are alternatives. Iceland should therefore ensure that this practice, which is contrary to animal welfare, is stopped now at the latest," commented Andrea Mihali, horse expert at the German Animal Welfare Federation. Iceland should now respond to the complaint within two months.
ABUSES IN BLOOD FARMS
Last year, the German Animal Welfare Federation, together with the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), the Eurogroup for Animals and 14 other animal welfare organizations, submitted a complaint to the ESA. This was prompted by appalling abuses uncovered by research conducted by the AWF and the Animal Welfare Federation Zurich in 2021: In the Icelandic blood farms, the semi-wild horses are exposed to violence, risk numerous injuries and are traumatized. The amount of blood collected - five liters per week, or up to 40 liters per season - exceeds all existing international guidelines.
BLOOD SAMPLING IS CONSIDERED ANIMAL TESTING
Legally, blood sampling for the production of medicines is classified as animal testing. Iceland's legislation on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes is subject to corresponding EU legislation, as Iceland is part of the European Economic Area. As there are already non-animal alternatives to PMSG that can be used in agriculture, the continuation of blood farms is not compatible with the EU Directive. As a member of the ESA, Iceland must follow the rules of the European Economic Area.
