- Proposals to end excessively long journeys for animals
exported for slaughter and fattening
- Environment Secretary hails ‘historic opportunity’ to boost
UK’s high standards after leaving the EU
- Eight-week consultation in England and Wales launches today
Plans to ban the export of live animals for
slaughter and fattening have been unveiled by the Environment
Secretary today (3 December), in the start of a renewed push by
government to strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader on
animal welfare.
These proposals form part of an eight-week
consultation, launched today in England and Wales, seeking views
on how to better protect animal welfare during transport.
Live animals commonly have to endure
excessively long journeys during exports, causing distress and
injury. Previously, EU rules prevented any changes to these
journeys, but leaving the EU has enabled the UK Government to
pursue these plans which would prevent unnecessary suffering of
animals during transport and see us become the first country in
Europe to end this practice.
The government is also consulting on proposals
to further improve animal welfare in transport more generally,
such as:
- reduced maximum journey times
- animals being given more space and headroom during transport
- stricter rules on transporting animals in extreme
temperatures
- tighter rules for transporting live animals by sea.
Environment Secretary said:
“We are committed to improving the welfare of
animals at all stages of life. Today marks a major step forward
in delivering on our manifesto commitment to end live exports for
slaughter.
“Now that we have left the EU, we have an
opportunity to end this unnecessary practice. We want to ensure
that animals are spared stress prior to slaughter.”
Around 6,400 animals were transported from the
UK directly to slaughter in continental Europe in 2018, based on
internal figures.
This consultation takes into account the
responses to the 2018
Call for Evidence, as well as the report published
by the then Farm Animal Welfare Committee (now known as the
Animal Welfare Committee), which is made up of farming and
veterinary experts, into the existing welfare standards for
animals during transport.
Chris Sherwood, CEO for the RSPCA
said:
“We welcome plans to end live exports and look
forward to seeing this happen as the RSPCA has campaigned on this
issue for more than 50 years.
“There is absolutely no reasonable
justification to subject an animal to an unnecessarily stressful
journey abroad simply for them to be fattened for
slaughter.
“Ending live exports for slaughter and further
fattening would be a landmark achievement for animal
welfare.”
Peter Stevenson, OBE and Compassion in
World Farming’s Chief Policy Advisor said:
“Compassion in World Farming is delighted that
Defra plans to ban live exports for slaughter and fattening. We
have campaigned for over 50 years against the massive suffering
caused by this inhumane, archaic trade, so this unambiguous
proposal is very welcome.
“We urge farmers not to oppose the proposed
ban but rather to recognise that this is an important part of
moving forward to a high welfare future."
This announcement marks the start of renewed
efforts from government to raise standards on animal welfare even
further now we are outside the EU, including taking steps to ban
primates as pets and crack down on the illegal smuggling of dogs
and puppies, with further proposals to improve standards and
eradicate cruel practices expected to be set out in the coming
months.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Animal welfare is a fully devolved matter. The UK Government
is working closely with the Welsh Government on this
consultation. We will also discuss the results of this
consultation with the Scottish Government with the aim of having
similar rules apply across Great Britain on improving the
protection for animals in transport. Northern Ireland will
continue to follow EU legislation on animal welfare in transport
for as long as the Northern Ireland Protocol is in place.
- The measure on live exports will not impact on poultry
exports or exports for breeding purposes.
- We have been unable to pursue this policy in the past because
of the EU trading rules on the movement of animals. Leaving the
EU has enabled us to pursue this policy on ending live exports
for slaughter and fattening.
