Brexit spares animals from cruel journeys
THE export of live animals for fattening and slaughter has been banned thanks to new laws made possible by Brexit, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay has said.
The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act received its Royal Assent yesterday.
This means British animals will no longer be sent on grim journeys abroad in cramped and poor conditions with little or no access to food or water before they are slaughtered.
Mr Barclay said: “We are proud to have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world.
Barbaric
“Our new Act makes use of post-Brexit freedoms to deliver one of our manifesto commitments and strengthen these standards even further. It prevents the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening which we know causes animals unnecessary stress and injury.”
This long-awaited law will ensure Britain will never return to exporting up to 2.5 million animals every year to Europe or other countries.
The Act stipulates that they are slaughtered domestically in high -welfare UK slaughterhouses. Sonul Badiani-Hamment, of Animal Welfare charity Four Paws UK, said: “This landmark victory for farmed animals is the result of many years of hard work across the animal welfare sector.
“It had support from our unwavering and compassionate nation of animal lovers who protested, spoke up and stood firm and united to end cruel live exports.
“This Act means animals are now protected from the brutality of the live export trade,
“We will never again witness the horrendous scenes of scared, wide-eyed animals being transported to their death, cooped up in barbaric conditions awaiting slaughter.
“We wholeheartedly congratulate the Government and urge them to encourage their global counterparts to follow their lead, so more countries can join us in ending this brutal practice once and for all.”
Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive of the RSPCA, said the UK was one of the first countries to abolish this practice.
“This ban marks a huge step forward for animal welfare and further shows that we are a nation of animal lovers – who care for every kind.”