AR408: "The Green Party will seek to minimise live transport of animals and will work through the EU and locally to end all live exports for slaughter and fattening. We shall prioritise smaller, local abattoirs, prohibit piece-rate payment of workers and otherwise improve market and slaughterhouse conditions."
Green Party members have long opposed the live export trade.
We regard it is cruel and unneccesary. Frightened, often injured animals are crowded into trucks and have to suffer horrendous journeys across the channel and then face the overland journey to their final destination. There are numerous reports of cruelty and suffering and attempts to block RSPCA inspectors from having access.
Hungry, thirsty, frightened these poor creatures rely on caring compassionate people to bring their plight to the nations attention. Our goal is to bring an end to this terrible uncaring trade.
Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE)
KAALE has been battling for an end to live exports for many years. The following is taken directly from their website kaale.org.uk
KAALE is a completely volunteer run organisation specifically set up to address the specific issue of live animal exports, primarily from the port of Dover, but now more recently covering both Ramsgate (Kent) and Ipswich (Suffolk). No member of the KAALE crew takes any financial rewards for the work that they do as they are all volunteers – we simply do our work at KAALE to be a voice for the animals which are still being exported from the UK for slaughter and further fattening in mainland Europe. All of our funding is obtained by membership, for which you get 6 newsletters every year; or by donations.
KAALE is a Non Government Organisation – an ‘NGO’.
During the past years we have seen the exporters move from Ramsgate port, scene of the incident when 46 sheep had to be euthanised on 12th September 2012, back to Dover port for 2013 and then a return to Ramsgate for 2014 as the berth at Dover was being refurbished.
We believe the exporters moved back to Dover to avoid RSPCA inspectors examining the animals before shipment as Dover Harbour Board denied the RSPCA access to the port.
They stated the AHVLA had told them they will not allow the RSPCA access, howe
ver it is the Harbour Board who decide who enters the port and not the AHVLA government body.
It was the RSPCA inspectors who discovered the injured animals on that fateful day see report 'J64' - go to 'about us' and then select 'Export reports' J64.
In February 2014 Tom Lomas, the exporter, was tried and convicted of breaches of WATO, Welfare of Animal’s in Transit Order, legislation and given two six months sentences suspended for two years and fines and costs totaling £19,000 at Dover court.
By refusing the RSPCA access to the animals the authorities hoped to keep any future incidents out of the public domain and this evil trade to go unchallenged, however, since the move back to Ramsgate once again the RSPCA have been in the port but they are not allowed to touch the animals.
KAALE intentions are to stop the trade in live animal exports through entirely legal and peaceful demonstrations at any UK port. The KAALE crew gathers information, data and photographs, and subsequently produces a detailed report for every live animal export consignment which leaves any of the UK ports. These reports can be seen on this site under the sub section of ‘Export Reports’. Older archive reports can also be found under ‘Harbours’.
In addition, we run a telephone newsline which is updated every weekend as standard and further updates during the week when there are live animal shipments from UK ports happening.
There is also a facebook site ‘stop live exports through the port of Ramsgate’ which you can comment on.
Please visit: kaale.org.uk
Click here to go to KAALE facebook page.
18 September 2017
Keith Taylor MEP, Green Party animals spokesperson, has reiterated his call for an outright ban on live animal exports in response to an investigation by BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme [1].
Taylor, the vice president of the European Parliament's Welfare Intergroup, joined campaigners from across the world who came together last week in opposition to live animal exports [2].
The 'Stop Live Exports' awareness day events were organised by Compassion in World Farming and supported by the RSPCA and other international animal welfare organisations.
Taylor has been a long-term campaigner against live exports and has written an article [3] urging his fellow campaigners not to be 'seduced' by the idea that Brexit will put an end to the cruel industry.
Commenting on the issue, he said:
"Live exports are barbaric and the latest heartbreaking exposé is shocking but, sadly, the practices uncovered are all too common. I continue to stand alongside the passionate and dedicated campaigners across Europe and the world calling for an outright ban on this cruel and unnecessary trade."
"Live exports treat beautiful and sentient animals as 'goods' as if they're no different from a bottle of whiskey or bar of chocolate. Greens want to see it banned outright."
"All this suffering is entirely unnecessary. And, following the tumultuous EU referendum last year, there has been a misplaced buzz of excitement amongst British animal welfare activists that leaving the EU might finally offer an opportunity to ban live exports outright."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Brexit is unlikely to be the silver bullet that halts live exports.
"The Government is pursuing an extreme Brexit with Britain outside of the Single Market. Ignoring the disastrous economic consequences and the loss of vital environmental, workers' rights and even animal welfare protections — if that comes to pass — Britain will become an independent member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)."
"As a member of the WTO, it's as likely — if not more likely — that live animal exports will increase rather than decrease. The WTO governs the conditions, rules, and regulation of trade between countries and governments. There are currently no grounds to restrict trade, as a member of the WTO, based on animal welfare objections."
"Other WTO member states, particularly those that profit from live exports, can challenge any proposed UK ban if they see it as a barrier to trade. Complicating this further is that it is entirely down to the UK government to explicitly include animal welfare standards in the language of future Free Trade Agreements (FTA)."
"We, therefore, as passionate, animal-loving Brits, need to continue fighting to strengthen animal welfare standards as members of the EU. We already have the necessary legislative tools at our disposal to help us in the fight — they were a gift from the EU, afforded to us by membership."
"We are stronger working with our friends and neighbours, and we can — and should — continue to fight as part of the EU with the strength that our membership brings."
Austria, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands have all backed the #StopTheTrucks campaign calling on the European Commission to review and update EU transport regulations and, so far, the campaign's online petition has garnered the signatures of over one million EU citizens.
Notes:
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41281570
2. Keith also recorded a message in support of campaigners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfdeGpXvFlk
Find out more
Click on the heading above to join the Green Party.
If you are already a member of the Green Party you can find information about joining Greens for Animal Protection on our join page.
Campaigns sub-menu
We have the following additional pages in the campaigns section of our website:
Team Badger Twitter
