16,000 pigs recovered in rivers that feed Shanghai

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, left, speaks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during their meeting at the Zhongnanhai diplomatic compound in Beijing Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Lew has stressed China’s and America’s shared interest in ensuring global economic growth in the meeting. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool)

BEIJING—The number of dead pigs recovered from rivers that supply water to Shanghai has risen to more than 16,000 in the past two weeks.

The government in China’s financial hub said Thursday that 10,570 carcasses have been pulled from its Huangpu river. That is in addition to 5,528 pigs plucked from upstream tributaries in the Jiaxing area of Zhejiang province.

Authorities give daily updates assuring the public that tests show Shanghai’s water is safe, but no one has fully explained why dumping of pig carcasses has spiked so significantly.

Villagers have told state media that hog dumping is rising because police are cracking down on the illicit procurement of dead pigs for meat harvesting and processing.