Training on how to reduce suffering during slaughter in Cape Coast, Ghana

In Ghana, like most African countries, animals are not stunned before having their throats cut. Captive bolts or other stunning equipment is not available there or known. Today we (Eyes on Animals and WACPAW)  gave a training course to 20 slaughtermen and agricultural students about the importance of rendering animals unconscious before slaughter in order to reduce some of the pain. The training was held at the abattoir of the University of Cape Coast Agricultural Department. Last year we gave our first theory training here, and donated to the university a captive bolt pistol and enough cartridges to last them a couple of years. Since a year now, all farm animals kept at the university are stunned before slaughter, which is a huge improvement. Several slaughtermen from Cape Coast’s commercial slaughterhouse also attended todays’ training. They practiced using the captive bolt stunner on wood, and learned about how to keep the stunner clean and well maintained. They are now interested in using a stunner also at their slaughterhouse. Tomorrow we will work at their slaughterhouse to see how we can reduce animal pain during slaughter there too.