This is a pioneering decision for the United Kingdom, made possible thanks to Brexit, since the European Union prevents the ban on this trade which, according to a British animal protection NGO, is “abominable.”
This Tuesday, the British Parliament approved a ban on the export of live farm animals, a pioneering decision for the United Kingdom, which differs from the European Union (EU), where this practice is still in force.
This Farm Animal Welfare Bill must end the export of thousands of cows, pigs, goats, sheep, wild boar and horses for slaughter or fattening to or through England, Wales and Scotland.
Already approved by the elected representatives of the House of Commons (lower house of parliament), the text was approved this Tuesday by the House of Lords (upper house). It will be legally consecrated as soon as it receives the “royal seal”, a formality.
Emma Slawinski, leader of the British animal welfare organization RSPCA, which has campaigned for the ban for almost 50 years, called it an “extraordinary achievement.”
“In the 1990s, over a million animals were exported out of the UK (each year).. It is an abominable trade. The animals’ suffering is intense and long-lasting, and journeys cost days rather than hours. Fortunately this will no longer happen,” she stressed.
This proposal was first formulated in 2017 by the British Conservatives and presented as a “Brexit benefit”European Union (EU) trade rules that prevent member states from banning exports of live animals to other countries in the union.
“This is a great day. For decades, farmed animals supported these senseless exports to the continent, but no longer,” said Philip Lymbery, director general of the organization CIWF (Compassion in World Farming).
During Tuesday’s vote, several members of the upper house regretted that the law does not apply in Northern Irelandwhich, under post-Brexit rules, sees certain EU regulations continuing to apply, especially on trade issues.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the protection of farm animals are calling on the EU to also prohibit the export of live animals to third countries. but this option was recently ruled out by the European Commission.
In his proposal to review the regulations at the end of 2023, still under negotiation, he preferred stricter requirements on the condition of the ships and the good treatment of animals on board.
Elsewhere in the world, Australia has committed to ending the export of live sheep by 2028.
New Zealand has also banned the export of live cattle by sea from April 2023.
Source: Observadora
