ANIMALS DESERVE A BREAK - HALL

3.16.00pm GMT Tue 24th Nov 2009

A North East MEP has asked for proof that animals are given proper breaks on long journeys.

Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall has asked the European Commission for more information about a new system to record animal transport journey times. Each year around 6 million farm animals are transported huge distances across Europe to be slaughtered or further fattened. Many of these journeys are stressful as animals are transported in cramped conditions for up to 70 hours. Even though there are laws in place to ensure that animals get some rest, water and food after 8 hours of travelling, there are problems in enforcing these rules.

Fiona Hall has written to the Commission to ask whether the new computerised journey log system called TRACES helps to tackle these problems. She said:

"There is no doubt that the new system prevents transporters submitting unrealistically short journey times. However, it is not clear whether time spent on ferries is counted as travelling time.

"Obviously, the time animals spent on board a lorry on a roll-on, roll-off vessel cannot be counted as rest or neutral time. There need to be rules in place that ensure a rest period for animals after unloading at the port of destination. "

Fiona, who also has campaigned alongside charity World Horse Welfare to end the callous practice of live horse export for slaughter, added:

"UK laws that prevent the live transportation of horses abroad for slaughter already demonstrate that a carcass-only trade is the most humane and sensible way to trade meat.

"The ultimate aim is to have animals fattened and slaughtered close to the places where they were born and bred so that only the meat is transported across Europe.

"I will continue to push for EU rules that put British best practice in place across Europe."

ENDS