Whitby group supports call to Government to ban live exports of animals

A group from Whitby Compassionate Food travelled to Northallerton, to support the Compassion team who were delivering a 27,000 signature petition to Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak. — A group from Whitby Compassionate Food travelled to Northallerton, to support the Compassion team who were delivering a 27,000 signature petition to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Compassion is calling on the Government to ban the live export of animals for fattening and slaughter, and the charity recently completed an epic 750-mile Ad Van Tour of England, taking the Ban Live Exports message directly to four DEFRA ministers and the Prime Minister.

The Government has pledged to ban live exports through its Kept Animals Bill, and during the Conservative Party leadership contest in 2022, Rishi Sunak said he looked forward to “championing” the Bill that would ban inhumane live exports from Britain.

However, the Bill has been stalled since November 2021, which Whitby Compassionate Food says is “completely unacceptable”.

They said banning live exports from Britain was a crucial step in securing an end to a “terrible” global trade that, worldwide, causes the following:

• Overcrowding – Animals are crammed into vehicles. Many are injured or trampled to death.

• Exhaustion and dehydration – They can be in transit for days, suffering extremes of temperature and often without sufficient food, water, or rest. Many die as a result.

• Pain and stress – Animals are sentient beings and feel pain and stress just like we do.

• Illness and disease – The spread of diseases across the globe – such as bluetongue virus, foot and mouth disease, avian influenza, and swine fever – can be directly attributable to the live transportation of farm animals.

• A lack of legal protection – When animals are exported from Europe to countries outside the EU they leave behind them all the legal protection they once received.

This means they can face terrible abuse during transport and at the time of slaughter.

• Unexpected issues – in addition to routine suffering, long distance live transport can also result in fires, delays or sinking of livestock ships causing the suffering and death of large numbers of animals.

It’s time to end this cruel trade now.

Visit https://www.ciwf.org.uk/our-campaigns/ban-live-exports/ to find out how you can help.