Government plans to ban 'unnecessary' live animal exports for slaughter

Ministers said leaving the European Union allows the UK to enact rules which would prevent unnecessary suffering of animals during transport on excessively long journeys.

Proposals in the consultation also include reducing maximum journey times, giving animals more space and headroom during transport, and stricter rules on transporting livestock in extreme temperatures and by sea.

Officials said around 6,400 animals were transported from the UK directly to slaughter in continental Europe in 2018, a practice which could not be previously stopped under EU rules.

Environment Secretary George Eustice 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.”

The move has been welcomed by animal welfare groups, who said they had been campaigning on the issue for more than 50 years.

Chris Sherwood, the RSPCA’s chief executive, said: “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, Compassion in World Farming’s chief policy advisor, said the “unambiguous proposal” was 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,” he said.

NFU livestock board chairman Richard Findlay said they had developed a solution to raise the standards for live exports for slaughter which would also maintain an "important trade option" for farmers.

He said: "We believe that an assurance scheme which goes beyond the current regulation would be best to ensure all animals travel in the best possible conditions and that they arrive at the approved and final destination in the best possible health.

“We are also keeping a close eye on Defra’s plans for domestic travel, as significant regulatory changes could potentially have a massive impact on the UK food supply chain.”