Emaciated and even dead sheep and goats, cows standing in a lake of feces and urine: The pictures published by the association against animal factories from a fattening farm in Traismauer (St. Pölten district) shock people all over Austria. In addition, a political debate broke out as to how such abuses in livestock farms can be prevented in the future.
Gottfried Waldhäusl
Photo:
Office of Provincial Councilor Gottfried Waldhäusl
Animal welfare provincial councilor Gottfried Waldhäusl (FPÖ) announces that the control system in Lower Austria will be reorganized. “We are working on a model that we can use even if the federal law is not changed so quickly,” he says in the NÖN interview.
Specifically, he has in mind that all companies should be checked twice a year in the future. Those where there have already been anomalies or notifications are to be scrutinized four times a year.
He wants to focus on large companies. “It’s usually the ones where there are problems,” says Waldhäusl. The farm in Traismauer at least falls into this category: According to information from the district administration authority, 135 cattle and 700 goats and sheep are kept there. “Currently it can happen that a company is only inspected once in 40 years. That absolutely has to change,” says the FPÖ politician.
Four-eyes-principle when checking
In order for this to be possible, however, human resources must be increased, emphasizes the State Councilor. Waldhäusl is of the opinion that not only official veterinarians but also other control bodies should monitor the conditions in livestock farms. In addition, a four-eyes principle is required for the control.
Waldhäusl wants to present a model of exactly how this should happen in the next few weeks. “I am already in contact with experts on this,” he reports. Then the question of financing has to be clarified. In any case, Waldhäusl wants the new control system to be implemented as early as 2023.
Greens locate failures of the authorities
Demands for increased controls also come from other political corners. Greens state spokeswoman Helga Krismer locates official failures around the operation in Traismauer. She suspects “a system of silence and looking the other way”. It cannot be “that the responsible authorities have known about the problem operation for almost ten years.”
Allegations were made almost ten years ago
In fact, allegations were made against the company back in 2013. “Anyone who looked the other way must be convicted,” says Waldhäusl. Whether this was actually the case will now be checked. The responsible ministry has also requested a report on the incidents in the company from the state of Lower Austria.
SPÖ animal welfare spokesman Dietmar Keck calls for regular rotation of attending veterinarians to prevent companies from choosing their own veterinary care.