B.C.‘s Agriculture Ministry has taken action against a pork processing facility in the Fraser Valley after reviewing hundreds of hours of whistleblower video submitted by an animal rights group.
The ministry launched an investigation into Johnston’s Packers – which slaughters hundreds of pigs a day supplied by local farms – after receiving a complaint from Animal Justice late last year.
The advocacy organization alleged the video from inside the facility showed “shocking animal cruelty” and violations of the “very minimal slaughter regulations that do exist.”
A government spokesperson confirmed to CTV News that its investigation has been completed.
“We are always concerned about reports of animal welfare issues and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food has taken action following an investigation into Johnston’s Packers,” a spokesperson said in an email. “The Chilliwack business has been issued a prohibition order and a letter outlining corrective actions.”
No information was provided by the ministry about which provincial laws or regulations Johnston’s may have run afoul of, or why, exactly, the government intervened.
A letter from an assistant deputy minister to Animal Justice in response to its complaint offers some information in that regard – saying Johnston’s was issued a warning letter “regarding” section 13 of the province’s Meat Inspection Regulation.
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