The UK Government has unveiled plans to “ban the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening” – outlined by George Eustice, Environment Secretary. The plan to ban live exports was announced in the Conservative Party’s manifesto in 2019, but has so far seen no course of action. Can we really trust the government to create effective guidelines to rule-out live exports under the guise that the UK is a “world leader on animals welfare”, given the horrors which take place across the country as standard on British farms?

This news comes as part of an eight-week consultation in England and Wales on how we can “protect animal welfare during transport”.

With live exports being responsible for the agony that many thousands of animals face each year. In 2018 around 6,400 animals were live exported from the UK directly to slaughter in Europe. It is shocking that is has taken until now for this consultation to happen. The UK Government has defended their inaction up to now, stating that it has been impossible to pursue this policy due to EU trading rules on the movement of animals and that leaving the EU will enable us to create these stricter guidelines.

But is this a celebration for all animals?

No. It is not as simple as that. Whilst this is a great push to end the live export market and we commend these changes, we must push for a complete ban. These guidelines will potentially ban the live exportation of sheep and calves who are exported for slaughter or fattening, but it does not cover birds – chicks for the egg industry, game birds for shooting estates, chickens, ducks and many more. Nor does it cover animals which are ‘high value breeding stock’, effectively any animals which will be used for breeding instead of fattening or slaughter. But of course these animals will still endure long, arduous journeys, including pigs who are taken by aircraft to China for breeding or poultry who are live exported, a sector worth almost £150 million in 2019.

This ban will mean that the UK will be the first country within Europe to implement such guidelines on the export of animals. Northern Ireland will continue to follow EU legislation including that for live exports as part of the Northern Ireland Protocol. As well as exporting overseas, stricter guidelines will be implemented within the UK:

• reducing maximum journey times
• animals being given more space and headroom during transportation
• stricter rules on transporting animals in extreme temperatures
• tighter rules for transporting live animals by sea

The National Farmers Union (NFU) is understandably aiming to fight this consultation, calling for “a solution to raise the standards” instead. They want to implement “an assurance scheme” to enable animals to “travel in the best possible conditions”. Another assurance scheme! It is well-known that the most common assurance scheme in the UK, Red Tractor, does not protect animals and instead gives protection to the exploitation and abuse of animals throughout British farms. We know that assurance schemes fail to protect animals.

Ayrton Cooper, Animal Justice Project’s Senior Campaigner believes that “the live export of animals, whether they are for slaughter, fattening or breeding, should be banned outright. If we implement ‘stricter’ regulations, many animals will still suffer during transportation. We commend this positive change but more action is needed if we want to protect all animals. Animals should not be forced into crowded trucks without any food or water for many hours to then be killed on arrival if they survive the journey, or to be used for breeding. This cycle of exploitation must end and no ‘assurance scheme’ nor ‘higher welfare’ guidelines will protect animals. Only by forming an outright ban on all live exports will animals no longer suffer.”

The ban could come into force by the end of 2021, with the package for reforms expected to come to Parliament next summer.

As always,

For the animals.

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