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CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS |
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| TUESDAY - MAY 20, 2008 | |
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The Great Debate: Long Distance Transport |
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Peter STEVENSON Chief Policy Advisor Compassion in World Farming River Court, Mill Lane Godalming, GU7 1EZ UK
Tel: +44 7765 844 623 Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, Peter Stevenson is Chief Policy Advisor for Compassion in World Farming. Peter is an English lawyer. In 2004 he won (jointly with Joyce D’Silva) the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Lord Erskine Award in recognition of a “very important contribution in the field of animal welfare”. He has lobbied the EU political institutions for many years and played a leading role in winning the EU bans on veal crates, battery cages and sow gestation crates as well as a new status for animals in EU law as sentient beings. He has also lobbied international bodies such as the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank and the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health). Peter has written comprehensive legal analyses of EU legislation on farm animals and also of the impact of the World Trade Organisation rules on animal welfare. He has produced well-received reports on welfare at slaughter, the welfare of meat chickens and farmed fish and the economics of industrial livestock production. He specialises in the field of animal transport and has written a book on UK live exports called A Far Cry from Noah.
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“The Global Long Distance
Transport Campaign: An Inside Look”
Peter STEVENSON Chief Policy Advisor Compassion in World Farming
The core principle of the Handle With Care Coalition is that the suffering that is involved in the transport of animals over long distances to slaughter could be avoided by slaughtering animals as close to the farm of rearing as possible. The meat and carcasses can then be transported to wherever they are wanted.
The Coalition has investigated the following trades which highlight the serious welfare problems involved in long journeys to slaughter: Brazil exports thousands of cattle each week to the Lebanon on journeys taking about three weeks. Many die during the sea journey to Beirut. Around four million sheep a year are exported from Australia to the Middle East. 36,000 died in 2006 on board the ships. Many suffer from illness, injury, hunger, thirst, heat and exhaustion. On arrival in the Middle East they are subjected to harsh treatment during unloading, onward transportation and slaughter.
Each week up to 15,000 goats are transported on journeys of around 2,000 km from Namibia to South Africa. Packed into overcrowded trucks for the 36 hour journey, many suffer from dehydration and disease. Until recently, pigs were transported from Canada to Hawaii, a journey of 3,500 miles lasting seven days. Pigs are still being sent from California and other U.S. States to Hawaii. Each year around 2.5 million farm animals are transported huge distances across Europe to slaughter. For example, 10,000 horses a year are exported from Spain to Italy on journeys of 36-46 hours usually without any proper food, water or rest.
The transport of poultry in Thailand. In many countries poultry are handled roughly during catching, crating and unloading, many suffering trauma such as broken bones as a result. Overcrowding, inadequate ventilation and thermal stress often cause severe problems during the journey.
The principal problems commonly found during long journeys to slaughter include: failure to provide food, water and rest; overcrowding; insufficient headroom; inadequate drinking devices; the transport of unfit animals; poor vehicle standards such as inadequate ventilation; and rough, sometimes brutal loading and unloading.
The Coalition believes that governments without higher standards should adopt and enforce the transport standards of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) as the legal minimum. Long distance transport can also lead to reduced meat quality. Moreover, the stress of long journeys impairs immune function, so making animals more vulnerable to disease. Transport can also lead to the spread of infectious diseases over great distances. |
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Dr. Ribo has a PhD and Master in Animal Science. Veterinary Degree. Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. Since 1996 working on the traceability of animals and food products of animal origin, to improve animal health and food safety aspects. From 1996 to 2002, researcher in the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. After a period of making consultancy for private companies, in November 2005 joined the Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Unit of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), being currently Deputy Head of the AHAW Unit.
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“Scientific Evidence of the Welfare Aspects of Animal Transport: The Role of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)”
Dr. Oriol RIBO Deputy Head of Unit, Senior Scientific Officer Animal Health and Welfare Unit European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
The work of the Animal Health and Animal Welfare (AHAW) Panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in providing scientific advice on the welfare aspects of animal transport and the impact of this advice on the European Union (EU) regulatory framework is reviewed, including also the previous work done by the former Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare (SCAHAW).
The Protocol on the Protection and Welfare of Animals of the Treaty of Amsterdam obliges to consider the welfare requirements of animals when formulating and implementing EU legislation.
Regulation 1/2005 states that EU legislation should be amended to take into account new scientific evidence. Provisions for poultry, cats and dogs, take into account the recommendations included in EFSA's Scientific Opinion considering different species (poultry, deer, rabbits, dogs and cats, fish and exotic animals). In order to provide additional scientific evidence on this issue, an EFSA SO related to standards for the microclimate inside animal road transport vehicles was adopted in October 2004.
Examples of the effect of the scientifically based conclusions and recommendations from the SO’s on the measures in Regulation 1/2005 are also considered, showing the impact of the scientific evidence on EU legislation.
The current development of the Risk Assessment guidelines and working methodologies for Animal Welfare including among others, the animal transport, is briefly introduced.
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Cameron HALL CEO Australian Livestock Export Corporation (LiveCorp) PO Box 1174
North Sydney, NSW 2059
Tel: +61 2 9929 6755 Fax: +61 2 9929 6733 Mobile: +61 0417 800 149
Cameron Hall has a lifetime of experience within the livestock industry, having grown up in the Central West region of New South Wales. Cameron’s career has seen him employed as a Jackaroo, a livestock agent, a corporate livestock manager and a livestock exporter.
From 1996 to 1997, Cameron was a member of the Elders Graduate program which was focussed on identifying future leaders for the organisation. He held the position as the State Livestock Manager, Victoria and Tasmania prior to becoming involved with the livestock export trade as a principal exporter through Elders International and Fares Exports.
Today, as Chief Executive Officer of LiveCorp – a non-profit organisation dedicated to the growth and development of the Australian livestock export industry – Cameron directs the industry’s efforts in improving animal health and welfare through research and development; developing new markets for live sheep and cattle; and strengthening existing export markets through investment and training.
He is responsible for managing an organisation of diverse and geographically widespread members within an ever-changing economic and political environment, and he is committed to executing.
LiveCorp’s vision is to be a “Respected world leader in sustainable livestock exports”.
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“Ocean Transport & Animal Welfare: The Australia Livestock Export Industry: What Is It and What Does it Do?”
Cameron HALL CEO Australian Livestock Export Corporation (LiveCorp)
The Livestock export industry, particularly the long distance sea and air transport sector, is a growing and maturing industry in Australia. The Australian livestock export industry is a major contributor to the Australian economy, contributing $1.8 billion each year to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Furthermore, the industry created export earnings of more than $831 million in each of the last five years. (National Institute of Economic and Industry Research)
The livestock export industry employs nearly 13,000 Australians across 30 separate business types, and the industry pays $987 million a year in wages and salaries. (Hassall & Associates, The Live Export Industry: Value, Outlook and Contribution to the Economy, July 2006.)
The industry has always been one that includes a degree of risk. The management and control of this risk to produce good animal welfare outcomes has been a driving force within the Australian industry.
The Australian Livestock Export Corporation (LiveCorp) through a joint investment with Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) supports the livestock export industry by investing in activities and tools to foster its growth via the “Livestock Export Program”. This investment, funded by exporters and producers, is concentrated on improving animal welfare, research and development, market and trade access including market intelligence, technical services and communications.
The Livestock Export Program works closely with commercial and government partners in importing countries to identify and address both commercial and whole of industry issues that impact on welfare outcomes. This is undertaken through the provision of support or expertise of in market consultants, locally based staff and training of local people. Investment in infrastructure improvement is undertaken on a cost shared basis under strict requirements.
In recent years there has been an increasing community awareness of animal welfare. This awareness is reflected in industry and Government regulations. This has given rise to the construction of world premier standards for animals transport through work between Government and industry. Industry is independently developing “guidelines” for processes that sit above the standards and may in time be used to further strengthen the legislated standards.
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Last Updated: 19-Jun-2009 |
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