Foam depopulation

Foam depopulation was developed in 2006 in response to a 2004 outbreak of H7N2.{{Cite journal |last1=Gurung |first1=Shailesh |last2=Hoffman |first2=John |last3=Stringfellow |first3=Kendre |last4=Abi-Ghanem |first4=Daad |last5=Zhao |first5=Dan |last6=Caldwell |first6=David |last7=Lee |first7=Jason |last8=Styles |first8=Darrel |last9=Berghman |first9=Luc |last10=Byrd |first10=James |last11=Farnell |first11=Yuhua |last12=Archer |first12=Gregory |last13=Farnell |first13=Morgan |date=2018-01-11 |title=Depopulation of Caged Layer Hens with a Compressed Air Foam System |journal=Animals |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=11 |doi=10.3390/ani8010011 |doi-access=free |pmid=29324639 |pmc=5789306 |issn=2076-2615}} It received conditional approval the same year in the US by the USDA-APHIS.{{Cite journal |last1=Benson |first1=E.R. |last2=Alphin |first2=R.L. |last3=Dawson |first3=M.D. |last4=Malone |first4=G.W. |date=May 2009 |title=Use of water-based foam to depopulate ducks and other species |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0032579119389229 |journal=Poultry Science |language=en |volume=88 |issue=5 |pages=904–910 |doi=10.3382/ps.2008-00268|pmid=19359675 }}

In the 2015 H5N2 outbreak in the US, foaming was the primary method used to kill poultry en masse with it employed at 66% of locations.{{Cite report |url=https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/emergency_management/downloads/hpai/2015-hpai-final-report.pdf |title=Final Report for the 2014–2015 Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the United States |date=August 11, 2016}} However, since 2019, foaming has increasingly been replaced in the US with ventilation shutdown, a controversial method which relies on suffocation and heatstroke after shutting off airways into a building.{{Cite journal |last1=Reyes-Illg |first1=Gwendolen |last2=Martin |first2=Jessica E. |last3=Mani |first3=Indu |last4=Reynolds |first4=James |last5=Kipperman |first5=Barry |date=2022-12-29 |title=The Rise of Heatstroke as a Method of Depopulating Pigs and Poultry: Implications for the US Veterinary Profession |journal=Animals |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=140 |doi=10.3390/ani13010140 |issn=2076-2615 |pmid=36611748 |doi-access=free|pmc=9817707 }}

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused supply chain disruption and meat packing closures. This led to a backlog in slaughtering—leading to many locations using foaming or ventilation shutdown to mass kill farm animals outside of the typical slaughtering process.

Foam depopulation has been called inhumane by organizations such as the ASPCA,{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2020 |title=Our Fight Against Inhumane "Depopulation" Methods {{!}} ASPCA |url=https://www.aspca.org/news/our-fight-against-inhumane-depopulation-methods |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=www.aspca.org |language=en}} Animal Justice,{{Cite web |last=Labchuk |first=Camille |date=2022-07-05 |title="Live Birds Buried Under Dead Ones": Whistleblower Speaks Out About Avian Flu Cull |url=https://animaljustice.ca/blog/north-lancaster-bird-flu-cull |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Animal Justice |language=en-US}} and Mercy For Animals,{{Cite web |last=Bugga |first=Hannah |date=2020-08-05 |title=Mercy For Animals Urges Congress Not to Fund Cruel Mass Killing |url=https://mercyforanimals.org/blog/mercy-for-animals-urges-congress-not-to-fund/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Mercy For Animals |language=en-US}} among others. Some veterinarians have also questioned the ethics of the method. Concerns include the pain felt during suffocation and the stress or other effects on stray survivors seeing those who have died around them.

Other groups, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, have raised issues about the usage of PFAS from farms using firefighting foam to accomplish foam depopulation.{{Cite news |last=Kevany |first=Sophie |date=2020-06-30 |title=Ban burning and burying of animals in US Covid-19 farm culls, NGOs urge |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/30/ban-burning-and-burying-of-animals-in-us-covid-19-farm-culls-ngos-urge |access-date=2024-02-14 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Additionally, some researchers have raised environmental concerns about water-based foam's resource usage. Amounts vary, but using 30,000 liters of water to produce foam is typical. Water is usually the majority of the foam with foam concentrate making up 1% of it.{{Cite journal |last1=Benson |first1=E. R. |last2=Alphin |first2=R. L. |last3=Rankin |first3=M. K. |last4=Caputo |first4=M. P. |last5=Hougentogler |first5=D. P. |last6=Johnson |first6=A. L. |date=Dec 2012 |title=Mass Emergency Water-Based Foam Depopulation of Poultry |url=http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1637/10160-040912-Reg.1 |journal=Avian Diseases |language=en |volume=56 |issue=4s1 |pages=891–896 |doi=10.1637/10160-040912-Reg.1 |pmid=23402109 |s2cid=22903879 |issn=0005-2086}}

While first developed in the United States, foaming has seen use elsewhere.{{Cite web |date=2015 |title=Mas Depop & Euthanasia – Avian Euthanasia |url=https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/emergency_management/downloads/ed_materials/mde_avian_handout.pdf |website=Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness & Response Plan (FAD PReP)/National Animal Health Emergency Management System (NAHEMS)}} For instance, usage is common in Israel{{Cite journal |last1=Avidov |first1=R. |last2=Sudharsan Varma |first2=V. |last3=Saadi |first3=I. |last4=Hanan |first4=A. |last5=Yoselevich |first5=I. |last6=Lublin |first6=A. |last7=Chen |first7=Y. |last8=Laor |first8=Y. |date=Jan 2021 |title=Physical and chemical indicators of transformations of poultry carcass parts and broiler litter during short term thermophilic composting |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2020.09.040 |journal=Waste Management |volume=119 |pages=202–214 |doi=10.1016/j.wasman.2020.09.040 |pmid=33070090 |bibcode=2021WaMan.119..202A |s2cid=224784653 |issn=0956-053X}} and Australia.{{Cite report |url=https://www.poultryhub.org/content/uploads/2017/05/1.5.3-Crossan-Final-Report-1.pdf |title=Development and Extension of Industry Best Practice for On-Farm Euthanasia of Spent Layer Hens |last=Angus |first=Crossan |date=November 2014 |isbn=978-1-921010-53-8}}{{Cite report |url=https://animalhealthaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/AVP_Destruction_v3.2_2015-1.pdf |title=Operational manual: Destruction of animals |date=2015 |publisher=Animal Health Australia |issue=Version 3.2 |isbn=978-1-876-71438-3}}

Some countries' governing bodies have also given support more directly to foam depopulation. For instance, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has purchased equipment for foaming that can be issued out.{{Cite report |url=https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2021/03/20180727-final-oie-japan-pvs-report.pdf |title=PVS Evaluation Report |last=John |first=Weaver |date=October 2016 |publisher=World Organisation for Animal Health}} The United States National Veterinary Stockpile maintains foam depopulation units as well.{{Cite report |url=https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/23-2024-APHIS.pdf |title=2024 USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES – ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE |date=2024}}

• Avian influenza
• Feedback (pork industry)

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Category:Livestock

Category:Ethically disputed business practices towards animals