https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12897211/abhorrent-export-live-animals-Europe-end.html
Category: Live Transport
15 December 2023
Last week, the European Commission published its long-awaited proposal on animal welfare rules during transport. While the transport of terrestrial farm animals is a well-recognised issue, what are the key issues fish face during transport, and to what extent does the new proposal cover them?
Fish are particularly sensitive to disturbance and experience stress while being handled during farming, being moved with nets or pumps, or being transported between sites or to slaughter. Inappropriate transport of fish can result in injury, pain, distress and suffering. A brief period of stress for fish can result in long-lasting effects such as increased disease incidence, reduced appetite, impaired development, deformities and increased mortality.
The most critical aspects of welfare in the transport of fish are:
Handling and loading procedures;
Equipment for monitoring and maintaining water quality;
Feed withdrawal prior to loading;
Monitoring of fish after unloading.
Until now, EU transport legislation was very weak on fish transport, and implementation was difficult. Fish were included within provisions on planning and documenting journeys, but no standards or practices were set. Certain provisions were also detrimental to fish welfare, such as the requirement to inspect fish at border control points, which means increased light exposure, changes in ambient noise causing stress and stationary periods affecting water quality.
The new proposed legislation includes aquatic animals (fish, cephalopods such as octopuses, and decapods such as crabs and lobsters) in its scope. Unfortunately, it excludes fish used in aquariums or ornamental fish as “the transport of ornamental fish rarely represents a major risk for animal welfare“.
Annex two of the proposal outlines basic principles for the transport of aquatic animals, recognising that aquatic animals have specific welfare needs that have to be protected by law. For example, conditions for crowding and loading fish, ensuring that water quality is appropriate for the species, and reasons for considering aquatic animals as not fit for transport are included.
The aquatic annex provides positive recognition of the importance of aquatic animal welfare during transport. The proposal calls for specific provisions for aquatic animals to be set and updated based on new science when the relevant EFSA opinions are available. This follow-up work is essential to ensure specific and implementable requirements for fish and other aquatic animals.
Now that the European Commission has published the proposal, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU will have a chance to review and propose amendments to the text.
Eurogroup for Animals calls for the text to include deadlines for adopting the delegated acts with more species-specific requirements following the scientific opinions.
Regards Mark
11 December 2023
Press Release
The long overdue proposal on animal transport is far from enough to protect the billions of animals transported each year, and fails to acknowledge several EFSA opinions on critical issues, presenting a missed opportunity by the European Commission (EC) to improve animal welfare.
Most notably, the proposal still allows for animals to be transported live to non-EU countries, on very long journeys, in which they are unable to benefit from the legal protection they receive in the EU. It is also deeply concerning that the proposed regulation allows for animals to be transported at sea, with no time limit, as, shockingly, sea journeys are exempted from any restriction on this.
The text does not provide sufficient protection for vulnerable animals such as pregnant ones and unweaned calves. These animals are still going to be transported when they are in very vulnerable states such as late pregnancies, or too young to be able to find food for themselves, or endure incredibly stressful situations like long journeys.
The text does not provide for adequate measures to protect animals in extreme temperatures and humidities, nor does it provide measures on actions required in the case of disruptions.
Another concern is that many animals are excluded from the new measures, including animals transported for scientific purposes, companion animals and aquatic ones, all of which should have legislation specific to their needs.
The proposal does have some positive aspects, notably, a commitment for real-time traceability for road journey times, updated space allowance and maximum journeys to up to nine hours, however this time limit only applies to animals being transported to slaughter. Animals transported for breeding and fattening can be transported for 42 hours over three days, a limit which is excessive and inconsistent with EFSA’s opinions. Moreover, ships flying “black flags” (severely sub-standard), which at the moment constitute 55% of the EU-approved livestock transport fleet, would no longer be allowed to operate.
For the first time, the EC made reference to the transition to meat and carcasses, in the objectives of the Regulation. This is particularly timely, following a recent report which shows that switching to this type of export, as opposed to live transport, would not only benefit the animals, but could save up to 2.5 times the costs, and reduce environmental externalities.
Despite its commitment to come forward with a full set of regulations to improve animal welfare by the end of this year, the EC has now failed to publish the three other legislative proposals, most notably the Kept Animals Regulation (KAR), through which the phase out of cages was promised.
Only updating the live transport rules, and publishing the new proposal on cats and dogs, leaves billions of animals at the mercy of outdated legislation, while it ignores the ask of millions of European citizens for better animal welfare.
This proposal comes only one week after the publication of a report that highlights how official records on live transport are often masked, and the suffering endured by billions of animals each year is much worse than imagined.
It is concerning that after such a long wait the European Commission comes forward with only one of the promised proposals, and one that lacks ambition and fails to protect the welfare of animals during transport, despite the ever-growing evidence of the immense suffering that they endure. The proposal evidently embraces a “business as usual approach” favouring economic benefits over the welfare of the animals. It is now time for the Council and the Parliament to truly reflect the wishes of EU citizens in the legislation.
Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals
Read the full proposal here.
Business case: the benefits of a carcass over a live animal tradeBusiness case: the benefits of a carcass over a live animal trade
9 November 2023
Report
Eurogroup for Animals commissioned Human Behaviour Change for Life (HBCL) to write this report: ‘Business case: the benefits of a carcass over a live animal trade’.
This document considers the business case for a change to the export of carcass meat instead of live animals from the European Union (EU) to third countries. It includes the current economic, environmental, and societal challenges and opportunities that these different approaches present.
The research provides a unique insight into the costs of the trade through the development and use of innovative modelling, frameworks, case studies and evidence-based approaches. It enables the consideration of how a move from live animal export towards a meat and carcass trade could be advantageous for the agricultural sector, the environment, and wider society.
A data dump of suffering: The EU’s long-distance trade in farm animals exposed
28 November 2023
Compassion in World Farming
Report
A cache of unpublished records obtained in summer 2023 reveals disturbing new evidence on the extent and nature of the EU’s trade in farm animals.
The data comprises official planning records relating to more than 180,000 consignments of animals, moving between EU countries and to non-EU countries between October 2021 – April 2023. It clearly shows that the rules for live transport are not robust or detailed enough to truly protect the welfare of animals in the sector.
A joint report by Eurogroup for Animals and Compassion in World Farming.
Regards Mark
MPs attempt to revive animal welfare measures – BBC News
Animal-loving backbench MPs are trying to breathe new life into welfare legislation quietly dropped by the government last year.
Plans to ban trophy hunting imports, live animal exports and crack down on puppy smuggling were included in the 2019 Conservative election manifesto.
Three MPs are now attempting to get some of these policies into law.
Labour’s John Spellar has launched a Private Members Bill (PMB) to ban hunting trophies.
Two Tory MPs – Selaine Saxby and Anna Firth – have launched separate PMBs to ban live animal exports and make pet abduction a criminal offence.
These two measures were originally included in the Kept Animals Bill, which was dropped by the government over fears it could be used to force a vote on hunting – a deeply divisive issue in the Conservative Party.
On Wednesday, Ms Saxby tabled a PMB to restrict the import of dogs, cats and ferrets to crack down on pet trade.
The RPSCA thanked Ms Saxby for “rescuing” the plans, which they say are crucial for ending puppy farming – where dogs often kept in terrible conditions which would be illegal in the UK, and used to breed multiple litters.
David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, said: “Buying an imported puppy leaves new owners open to the very real risk that they are supporting cruel overseas puppy farming.
“We are delighted that Selaine Saxby’s Bill will give the UK government another opportunity to support an end to this cruel trade.”
Ms Firth introduced a PMB to specifically criminalise abducting cats, dogs, and other common pets.
PMBs rarely become law without the support of government, as they do not get the same amount of time dedicated to government businesses.The government has been under pressure to dedicate government time to fresh legislation to fulfil a manifesto commitment to ban the import of hunting trophies into Great Britain.
Every year, hunters from the UK travel abroad, often to southern Africa, and pay thousands of pounds to legally shoot animals, such as lions and elephants.
Under current rules, with the right paperwork, they can then bring trophies, such as stuffed heads or horns, back to the UK.
The measures had been expected in government legislation but ministers instead backed a PMB from Conservative MP Henry Smith during the last parliamentary session.
It passed the Commons comfortably, but ran out of time as its face opposition in the House of Lords.
Time for PMBs are allocated by a lottery – 20 MPs are randomly chosen for a chance to debate their bill on one of seven Fridays set aside for this purpose.
The top seven MPs get priority for these debating slots.
Julie Elliott, Labour MP for Sunderland Central, won the top spot in the ballot, giving her first priority. Her PMB seeks to level the banking sector’s competitive field by modernising rules that currently restrict building societies’ lending abilities.
Regards Mark
You bet they are under pressure ! – we will continue to make this an issue right up until election day – about 1 year max away.
The government has been under pressure to dedicate government time to fresh legislation to fulfil a manifesto commitment to ban the import of hunting trophies into Great Britain.
From Mark – there is a lot to absorb here from Reineke – I started to underline and bold main points; but almost ended by doing everything !! – thus I stopped. Bad news all round whatever, but what else would you expect from the EU ? – Regards Mark
Photo – PMAF (France)
1 December 2023
Opinion
Written by Reineke Hameleers
A revised Regulation on live animal transport, possibly together with rules on cat and dog breeding, is the only piece of updated legislation that will be put forward in this political term. This is at a time when we, and millions of European Citizens, fully expected the European Commission to deliver on its firm commitment to revise all animal welfare rules.
It is, therefore, all the more striking that the leaked Commission’s legislative proposal on the transport of animals is even less ambitious than we could have imagined.
The general tone is that ‘animal welfare is a common good, but business is business and as few obstacles as possible must be put in its way’. Perhaps the most evident proof is that the extremely controversial live exports to non-EU countries are here to stay, albeit with more restrictions, most notably on the vessels that can be authorised for sea consignments. There is even an explicit recognition that this is a lucrative sector and that someone else would profit from it if the EU decided to withdraw.
The draft Regulation appears to ignore the European Court of Justice Ruling (C-424/13) establishing that animals must be protected according to EU legislation until their final destination, within or outside the EU territory. According to the new draft rules, the operators who should be reporting any animal welfare problems are the same people in charge of the animals during the journey. The same people who are profiting from the business. We can only imagine how eager these operators will be to report their own violations to the competent authorities.
For the rest, the alignment with the recommendations of the latest scientific opinions commissioned to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is inconsistent, and some of the requests of the Animal Transport Committee of the European Parliament (ANIT) have been disregarded. True, the leaked draft includes some positive elements, among which the most important are the proposed lower maximum journey times for most species, updated space allowances, compulsory real-time traceability of all road journeys, and the minimum age of five weeks for transporting unweaned calves. But, as is often the case, the devil is in the details, and those details are concerning.
To start with a striking example, unweaned animals (calves, lambs, foals, etc.) are recognised as vulnerable but, thanks to a derogation, can still be transported for two consecutive 9h periods with a 1h period of rest in between (so 19h in total) if the trucks are equipped with specific feeding devices – whose effectiveness the Commission intends to “verify”. As if this weren’t enough, when the journey of unweaned calves is roll-on, roll-off (RORO, meaning that the trucks are partially transported by sea), the time spent at sea is not included in the total journey calculations – as if hunger, dehydration, and exhaustion in unweaned animals (and indeed, in all animals) were not time-dependent. This provision, which is so damaging it beggars belief, to all effects legitimises the Irish dairy calf export trade, which in 2022 involved 153.000 calves (for 2023, the numbers have already increased by 30,000 animals). Dairy calves are sent on 18h RORO crossings to be further transported to fattening or slaughter to international destinations. The current requirement to rest the animals for 12 hours after a long RORO crossing apparently disappeared from the new draft Regulation. Another favour to the industry in plain sight. There is also no real consideration for end-of-production (ie, cull) or pregnant animals, two additional vulnerable categories.
Only animals that are fit for transport should start a journey. However, although fitness for transport is a prerequisite before an animal can be loaded (and it should be guaranteed for the entire journey), the proposal does not provide any concrete and species-specific ways to assess this fitness. EFSA had proposed a series of animal-based indicators in its last scientific opinions: for instance, severely lame poultry or poultry with open wounds/prolapses, broken legs or wings should not be transported. Similarly, severely lame cattle or cattle with pneumonia should be considered unfit for transport. The operators cannot make informed decisions without clear and species-specific indicators of reasons for excluding a vulnerable animal from starting a journey. The draft Regulation only mandates the use of (yet-to-be-defined) indicators at the destination, but this is insufficient to protect animal welfare for the whole journey.
Other shortcomings concern the allowed minimum and maximum temperatures for transporting animals. Again, looking at the most recent EFSA recommendations, the proposed ranges of temperatures, particularly the maximum allowed ambient temperatures (30 degrees) for transports during the daytime, are inadequate to guarantee animal welfare. For farmed animals there is no mention of minimum and maximum allowed temperatures inside the trucks or containers, nor does the draft mention compulsory monitoring systems for microclimate inside the vehicles (again, ignoring EFSA’s recommendations).
All the while, contingency plans, while mandatory, are not described in any detail, posing another hazard to animal welfare in case of traffic disruptions, extreme weather conditions, accidents, disease outbreaks, etc. Throughout the text of the new draft, there is a strong emphasis on the responsibility of organisers, drivers/transporters and staff at the final destination for the welfare of the animals in their care. This is also present in the current Regulation, and it begs the question of why commercial operators should denounce themselves to the competent authorities if their failure to enforce the Regulation leads to animal welfare problems.
Is it all doom and gloom, then? This proposal does have some progressive elements, particularly concerning the real-time traceability of each live animal consignment (which would become compulsory) and the recording of relevant data for enforcement purposes. Additionally, we welcome the proposal that ships flying “black flags” (severely sub-standard), which at the moment constitute 55% of the EU-approved livestock transport fleet, would no longer be allowed to operate. Only ships flying a white or grey flag (good or average performance) would be able to obtain the relevant authorisation certificates. The Commission intends to exercise more control over live animal transport data, but how the data will be used is still unknown, also because they will not be publicly available. The scope is extended to aquatic animals and recognises the most important aspects for their welfare, however, a delegated act will be required to introduce measurable and species-specific requirements, or there will be no impact on aquatic animals from the text in this draft.
When it comes to companion animals (cats and dogs) the draft presents new species-specific criteria but some provisions are generic and vague. While it’s good to see that the minimum age has been set at 15 weeks, it’s astonishing that there is still no maximum journey time. This means that cats and dogs, even pregnant ones, can be transported for days and days, and the only requirement is to feed them “at least every 24 hours”.
For animals transported for “scientific purposes”, the details remain again vague. There are limitations: only a proportion of these animals would benefit from such protection. The animals used in projects authorised under Directive 2010/63/EU would remain unprotected. Animals that are transported by air, as non-human primates that are imported to EU laboratories, and vulnerable animals, as for example certain genetically altered animals, and animals that have undergone surgery also seem to miss protection under this proposal.
Will animal welfare be substantially improved should this draft become legislation? From our analysis, the answer is no.
Regards Mark
UK Live Export Update
Ther 14th June this year (2023) was the Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day.You can see some of our past awareness day posts by clicking here – Search Results for “ban live export awareness day” – World Animals Voice
This year, 120 NGO’s from 31 nations took part in the day of action; encouraging their supporters to raise awareness, gather support and push for legislative changes that improve the welfare of animals in transport and to also ban live exports.
Across Europe, citizens sent 464,586 digital postcards to EU Ministers urging them to support change.
In the UK – In May this year the UK government reneged on its manifesto promise to deliver a live exports ban; when it dropped the ‘Kept Animals Bill’. In July, there was a funeral themed photo stunt outside of Parliament, urging the UK Government not to allow its promise to ban the trade to go to the grave !
In September, Dame Joanna Lumley submitted over 95,000 signatures regarding the same to No. 10 Downing Street, calling for the Prime Minister to show true leadership for animals by banning live exports. In October, CIWF helped organise an ‘MP Walk In’ session in Parliament, briefing MP’s on the issue.
Then suddenly, few weeks ago, campaigners warmly welcomed during the State Opening of Parliament by HRH King Charles, which outlines all the work to be undertaken by government in the next Parliamentary session, a new Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill which will ban the live export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses for both slaughter and further fattening from Britain.
This is a huge step forward towards ending this disgusting trade from the UK; especially as it has now been detailed in the State Opening for passing into legislation in this next parliamentary session. Now the Government must listen to its people (as they work for us !) and deliver the ban on the archaic practice of transporting live animals on long and arduous journeys overseas for both slaughter and fattening once and for all. In the past and more recently, we have all seen a series of broken promises by the Government on this issue; so the latest session news is most welcome. The Bill must now be passed as a matter of urgency; and with a General Election at most 1 year away, the government knows it will get a big no vote at the ballot box if it fails its citizens again.
Regards Mark
Personally, I have campaigned and investigated live animal exports from the UK for the last 35+ years. You can read and see a lot more about it by visiting About Us. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
True horror of EU live animal transport masked in official records
28 November 2023
CIWF
My bold, underline etc – Mark.
Press Release
Shocking new report reveals suffering endured by around 44 million farmed animals a year – including unweaned calves and lambs – on horrific journeys lasting up to three weeks. Inadequate and misleading official records are masking the true horror and scale of the EU’s long-distance trade in farmed animals, a shocking new report released today by international NGOs Eurogroup for Animals and Compassion in World Farming reveals.
Photo – Mark
The new report A data dump of suffering: the EU’s long-distance trade in farm animals exposed analyses a cache of previously unpublished EU records relating to the long-distance transportation of 180,000 consignments of farmed animals within and from the EU during a 19-month period from October 2021 to April this year. It reveals disturbing details of the extent and nature of suffering endured by around 44 million farmed cattle, sheep, pigs and other animals transported annually.
Key insights from the report include:
Over 370,000 unweaned calves were taken from their mothers shortly after birth and deprived of nutrition during long journeys – many as young as just two weeks old. 300,000 unweaned lambs are also imported by Italy alone each year, enduring long journeys without adequate feed.
Thousands of sheep and cattle are exported from the EU by road to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia in journeys lasting up to three weeks.
Anti Live Export March – Dover, England. Photo – Mark
France, the Netherlands and Denmark have exported thousands of pigs to extremely distant countries including Brazil, Vietnam, Thailand, and Nigeria. By exporting breeding sows that have been genetically selected for very large litters, the EU is seeding its inhumane factory farming model in other parts of the world.
Millions of cattle and sheep a year endure long, stressful sea journeys to the Middle East and Africa for slaughter or fattening. Vessels are often in very poor condition and animals suffer greatly during these journeys from heat stress, noxious gases, motion stress and starvation and there are no effective legal protections.
In 2022, the EU exported around 30,000 pregnant heifers, mainly to central and western Asia, such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, where journeys are up to 6,000 km and can take up to three weeks.
Above – CIWF Tour for farmed animals in the Netherlands – photo Mark
An estimated 54,000 tonnes of live fish, equal to tens of millions of individual animals, were transported between EU Member States in 2019. Fish often endure routine starvation, overcrowding, and physical injury to scales and fins resulting from handling when loading and unloading during transport.
The report shows that the EU’s journey records were incomplete, often inaccurate and vastly underestimate the sheer extent of the length and duration of many journeys. Around 60% of journeys are shown as starting at assembly centres but animals may have been transported from the farm of origin for many hours prior to this without any requirement for this to be logged. Many transporters practise ‘assembly centre hopping’, avoiding the requirement for animals to be given 24 hours mid-journey rest before resuming their journey.
This release comes just days before the expected publication of the European Commission’s proposal on animal transport on 6 December. However, the Commission has failed to publish the other proposals it committed to present as part of a more comprehensive revision of the animal welfare legislation, including the ban on caged animal farming, which was expected by September 2023.
The two animal protection NGOs are calling on the EU to ban the export of live animals from the EU to non-EU countries, to switch to a trade in meat and carcasses only, and to introduce tougher rules to protect the welfare of animals on journeys within the EU.
This call for greater protection for farmed animals’ welfare during transportation is supported by the majority of European citizens. The 2023 Special Eurobarometer found that eight out of ten Europeans think the travel time for the commercial transport of live animals within or from the EU should be limited1 and an overwhelming nine out of ten people believe it’s important to protect the welfare of farmed animals.
The transnational nature of live exports makes it especially challenging to protect the welfare of animals, and this is why we ask for a ban on live exports to non-EU countries. A replacement with meat and carcass exports does not only benefit the animals but has huge economic and environmental benefits. Better measures to protect unweaned and pregnant animals must be put forward, while the misuse of assembly centres needs to be urgently addressed. The immense scale of suffering highlighted by this investigation cannot be ignored – the European Commission must come forward with a more ambitious Regulation.
Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals
Our new report reveals some deeply troubling issues, not least that the official data is incomplete, inaccurate and vastly underestimates the scale of – and the animal suffering caused by – the EU’s long-distance trade in live farmed animals. Although we knew that millions of animals were enduring cruel and unnecessary journeys in the name of profit, this report shows that the situation is far worse than we had feared. The EU must address this as a matter of urgency by banning the live export of farmed animals to non-EU countries and introducing tough new rules to protect their welfare during transportation between and within EU Member States.
Peter Stevenson, Chief Policy Advisor, Compassion in World Farming
Regards Mark
I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Phil, Peter and all the CIWF crew for decades.
Below – On Tour with CIWF in the Netherlands.
CIWF Campaigner of the year 2003.
WAV Comment – have had this through today (22/11) from our campaigner friends at the Society for Animals in the Czech Republic, EU. stoptransport.cz – For a Better World for Animals and Stopping Cruel Transports
I have made no changes to the text, or added any further additions; the translation is via the system, so this is directly as supplied. With the above web link, there is an ability to translate if you wish.
Regards Mark
——————————————————
Dear friends,
the institutions of the European Union are also busy because of the animal inhabitants of the member states.
At the beginning of October, we informed you that the European Commission is forgetting about the promises of changes to the regulations to improve the conditions of kept and transported animals.
Following our joint European action, the Commission said it would submit amendments to the Regulation on the Protection of Animals during Transport later this year – petitions
Later this week, we expect an important breakthrough regarding other missed regulations. Whether it will be good or bad for the animals, we will write to you.
Specifically, these are proposals for regulations on the labelling of animal foodstuffs according to the methods of animal husbandry, changes on the slaughter of animals and on the methods of animal husbandry (so-called farm animals). The last one reflects on the successful European citizens’ initiatives End the Cage Age and Fur Free Europe.
On behalf of the Society for Animals
Judit Laura, Adéla, Michala
https://www.ciwf.org.uk/news/2023/11/bill-to-ban-live-exports-welcomed
Above Photos – Mark.
WAV Live exports links:
https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=live+animal+exports
and dear friend John:
After years of campaigning by many animal welfare organizations, the announcement of a ban on live exports is a significant moment in the history of the animal welfare movement in the United Kingdom.
Above – more fighting at the EU, Brussels, Belgium.
The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill will prevent the horrendous shipment of calves and other farmed animals for days or even weeks on unsuitable transport vessels that have seen dreadful accidents in the past with thousands of animals dying.
Unweaned calves that were sent from the UK to Spain for fattening suffered from injury, stress, and exhaustion. Global animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS said that it would fortify its efforts to advocate in next year’s EU elections, where a revision of Animal Welfare legislation is more than overdue.
“The last few years have seen too many fatal accidents with farmed animals being transported alive with countless documented infringements against existing legislation that are not prosecuted. The suffering the animals have to endure due to excessive temperatures in cargo, nonexistent veterinary care, and a constant shortage of water and feed is unimaginable,” said Corinna Reinisch, Program Lead Farm Animal Welfare at FOUR PAWS.
“Therefore, this milestone announcement in the UK shines a light on the upcoming proposals for transport that the European Commission has announced for December of this year. Eventually, the EU Parliament and the Council of the EU have to take those proposals, which raise the significance of live animal transport forward in the upcoming EU elections in 2024,” continued Reinisch. “This strong signal shall be the door opener for an urgently needed improvement for billions of farmed animals that are transported outside the EU to third countries every year. FOUR PAWS keeps advocating for animal welfare worldwide.”
Every year, millions of cows, pigs, birds, and sheep are exported from the EU to non-EU countries. This year alone, there have been several fatal accidents with animals being transported. After a three-month ordeal through the Mediterranean Sea, around 1,600 young bulls were killed in Spain after the transport ship Elbeik was not allowed to enter the Middle East due to feared bluetongue cases among the bulls on board. Almost 900 young bulls from the transport vessel Karim Allah experienced the same fate some weeks earlier, and only recently, 14 sheep died after the Phoenix III was stuck off the Italian coast due to bad weather conditions.
Link:
Regards Mark
Words from the recent past:
I (Mark) have fought the export of live animal exports from the UK (via English ports) for around 35+ years. A ‘been there; done it; got the T shirt’ type of scenario. Over those 30 or so years the ‘fight’ has taken me into Europe investigating the trade; to the EU no good hierarchy in Brussels; and to many ports around England which, to their regret, got involved with the live export trade.
We have experienced the countless, wet; windy; cold and tearful nights at the docks; bearing witness to all the suffering – the noise of the calves having travelled from all over the UK; the smells of days old urine on the transporter floors; and the sights of helpless animals (pigs, sheep, calves and horses) through the slats on their way to meet barbaric deaths in the far corners of Europe and beyond. Yes, despite Ministry promises; horses were exported to Europe under the guise of going for riding; when in fact they were going for slaughter. How can I say this ? – one way or another I got the paperwork (export certificates) and we trailed the transporters into Europe. The Ministry said one thing; and we had the evidence for another. See more on it all at:
About Us. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
The corruption of the system bummed me off enough; that one night; after witnessing the horses going out through an English port; I had to get something down to show what an utter sham it was – hence:
Microsoft Word – EXH6.doc (wordpress.com)
Sometimes you worked alone; for me also, sometimes with a female campaigner; sometimes more; and I cannot even start to count all the wonderful folk that have shared this journey of compassion with me – folks who; if you need it; would give you the shirt off their back to help you out.
I lost a wonderful campaigner friend; Mike Tucker; see his photo – from London, a few years ago. He was a stalwart in the fight for the ban on live animal exports. Sadly he passed before this great news has broken today. It would have been his dream to know that this issue has now reached UK government for action; with the very real prospect of a positive result soon. Like me; the fight got deep into his veins; and the tenacity to be a voice for the suffering animals stayed with him until his final minute. You don’t forget people like him.
I can remember meeting up with him many times in Ol’ London town over the years to fight this bloody, barbaric trade in sentient beings. Despite his disability from an accident many years earlier, Mike would always dress ‘dapper’ in suit and bowler hat; and would take his bucket of water and a mop to wash the steps of the Agriculture Ministry (responsible for authorising the exports); telling them to ‘clean up’ their act and stop the trade regarding live animal transport.
The EU, for what little it is worth; has a policy of ‘member states’ never being allowed to stop the trade. With the UK sensibly voting to leave a few years ago; and our relationship with the EU hopefully coming to an end this month in 2020; the UK, as an independent nation, can now take the action to stop the live export trade; re the action starting in Parliament tomorrow (3/12/20). Things will not change overnight; we know that; but the UK government; unlike the EU; is listening to its citizens; and hopefully in the near future, will introduce legislation to stop the trade. If other member states of the EU cannot go independent and enforce their own nation legislation; then it is a sad state of affairs; especially as so many citizens of the EU (who’s wishes are ignored) wish to see the business / trade stopped for good.
Mark
Above – Livestock transporters wait at Dover harbour.
Fighting in Dover and Brussels, Belgium
Above – in all the cruelty, we had some fun nights as well- you have to !!
6 November 2023
AWF
The European Commission carried out an audit of facilities in Argentina and Uruguay that produce horse meat for the EU market, in order to monitor the implementation and enforcement of EU legislation in the areas of food safety and animal health and welfare. The results reveal serious concerns regarding traceability and animal health.
Whilst the audits took place in November 2022, the results have just only just been released.
In Uruguay, concerns were raised regarding the robustness of the identification and traceability system. There is no traceability on whether horses have been administered veterinary medical treatments that may compromise their health and that should prevent them entering the food chain.
Unidentified horses from Brazil were also found to enter the food chain in Uruguay, which is in conflict with the fact that horse meat imports from Brazil were suspended in 2017 due to food safety concerns.
In Argentina, shortcomings in horse identification and traceability, as well as the reliability of supporting documentation, were raised. Guarantees concerning compliance with EU medical treatments requirements are currently based on owners’ sworn declarations, which the audit found to be insufficiently reliable or false.
The last audit took place in 2018, where similar shortcomings were found.
During such audits, EU Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing has been confirmed to be systematically breached. However the latest audit reported finding few animal welfare problems. Facilities are informed in advance of the dates that inspectors will visit.
Animal Welfare Foundation believes that pre-warning facilities of upcoming audits allows them to manipulate results and conceal poor conditions which compromise animal welfare.
We call for respect for EU equivalent animal welfare standards in exporting countries, not only for slaughter but also for transport and assembly centres.
Access to the European market should be conditioned on compliance with traceability and food safety standards, including veterinary drug use, equivalent to those applied in the EU.
Since compliance with EU Regulations, particularly EU Regulation 1099/2009 cannot be guaranteed, horse meat imports should be immediately suspended from Uruguay and Argentina.
Regards Mark
World Animals Voice 