US debates horse meat ban

2006-07-26 08:33

Washington - US parliamentarians corralled activists on Tuesday on both sides of a proposal that would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption, drawing interest from animal lovers and a big export industry.

A subcommittee of the house energy and commerce committee called the hearing on a bill aimed at halting slaughter in the US of horses for meat, which is exported primarily to Europe and Japan.

One of the witnesses was billionaire T Boone Pickens, who has no stake in the measure but described himself as a "life-long animal lover".

"I strongly oppose horse slaughter," said Pickens, founder of BP Capital LLC and Mesa Petroleum.

"Horse slaughter is un-American. It's a black eye on our nation that demands action."

'No horse is safe from slaughter'

Pickens said that although slaughter of horses for human consumption is illegal in his state of Texas, foreign-owned companies who process horsemeat were using federal loopholes to continue killing horses.

As a result, he argued, Texas provided a large part of the 18 million kilograms of horsemeat shipped to France, Belgium and Japan in 2005.

"No horse is safe from slaughter," said an advocacy group called Horse Politics 101 in a message to supporters of the bill.

"Children's ponies, show horses, family horses, retired show horses, or horses from families who just can't afford them any longer are all at risk of being slaughtered for human consumption."

$40bn industry

Others told lawmakers the ban was hypocritical and would not help horse welfare.

"Passage of this irresponsible bill would be devastating to the horse market and the $40bn horse industry," said Dick Koehler, vice president of the meat processing firm BelTex, who testified on behalf of the industry as well as the American Veterinary Medicine Association and other groups in a coalition called Common Horse Sense.

"It would also be the first time the government closed a livestock business for reasons other than public health or safety."

He said the industry helps research, provides meat for zoo animals and elements for human heart transplants.

'Presumptuous'

Koehler said US plants collectively exported some $60m in horse meat in 2005, helping to improve the US trade deficit and "making a product of something that would otherwise go to waste".

The industry spokesperson said it was "presumptuous" for the US to pass judgment on those who eat horse meat around the world.

"How would Americans react if Hindus told us to stop eating beef because the cow is sacred?" he said.

- AFP