HONOLULU — The practice of shipping live pigs to Hawaii for slaughter has ended.
HONOLULU — The practice of shipping live pigs to Hawaii for slaughter has ended.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Sunday that industry players said a combination of economic forces, including a long decline in locally raised pigs sent to Oahu’s only slaughterhouse, led importers to quit the business.
State records show that the last pig import was a shipment of 220 hogs that arrived Sept. 27. The practice of shipping pigs to Hawaii began decades ago to supplement the fresh “hot pork” supply.
Animal rights supporters touted the cessation of imports as a victory in a campaign they had waged for over a decade.
Laurelee Blanchard, founder and president of Maui animal refuge Leilani Farm Sanctuary, heralded the change as an end to a “filthy four-day nightmare journey” where pigs regularly died.
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
