*[Enwl-eng] Animals need you
ENWLine
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The brutal and tragic European live animal export industry is hanging by a thread. New EU rules could see the worst of these practices banned – but only if we raise our voices loud enough. |
Hi,
200,000 cows, sheep, and other farmed animals crowded and packed together in sweltering conditions, starved to death on ships as their food ran out. They died a few months ago after waiting for the Suez Canal to reopen. Most of them came from Europe. [1]
All of this is due to the live export trade. Animals inflicted unimaginable suffering crammed into ships and sent around the world, usually just to be slaughtered for meat and leather on arrival. [2]
New Zealand has already banned live export, and the UK is also planning to do so. As momentum builds for a global ban, the EU is investigating current rules on live export that could lead to an effective ban. [3]
But this won’t happen without mass public pressure. That’s why today, with over 100 other organisations like Compassion in World Farming and Four Paws International, we’re launching one of the largest petitions against live transport ever!
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What happened in the Suez Canal isn’t an isolated example of tragedies like this. In December 2020, nearly 3,000 calves left a Spanish port but were denied entry to several countries. They were stranded at sea for three months in shocking conditions and eventually taken back to Spain for slaughter. [4] In November 2019, nearly 15,000 sheep drowned below deck when their ship capsized after leaving Romania. [5]
But even when there aren’t incidents like this, these journeys are still tragic. Animals are exported under severe stress and may face extreme dehydration, exhaustion, hunger and death – even without unexpected delays and capsizing. Those that survive these gruelling journeys often then face slaughter.
Live export is a global problem and a globally connected industry. That’s why we’re working with partners all around the world to make our leaders finally listen! And if we could get the EU to ban live exports, it could influence the industry globally.
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Together our community has worked to radically change our industrial farming system and the way we treat animals, and we’ve made big waves. Last week we wrote to our MEPs to demand they ban cages in EU farming. Just on Thursday, they responded with a vote supporting a ban. [6]
These wins are all small steps towards really changing how we farm but we’re nowhere near done yet – please join us in calling for a ban on the live export of animals.
Thank you,
David (London), Giulio (Rome), Mika (Bordeaux) and the entire WeMove Europe team
PS. Reducing the actual slaughter of animals for meat production will clearly take time, but until then we can at least reduce the amount of horrendous and unnecessary suffering we cause to animals. SIGN!
References:
[1]
https://euobserver.com/world/151394
[2]
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/20/live-export-animals-at-risk-as-giant-global-industry-goes-unchecked
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54435029
https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/wool-industry/wool-live-export/
[3]
https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/animal-welfare/evaluations-and-strategy/evaluation-eu-legislation-welfare-farmed-animals_en
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/14/new-zealand-to-stop-exporting-livestock-by-sea
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/03/uk-to-become-first-country-in-europe-to-ban-live-animal-exports
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/12/animals-to-be-formally-recognised-as-sentient-beings-in-uk-law
https://www.animalsaustralia.org/investigations/live-export-investigations.php
[4]
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/31/how-nearly-3000-cattle-came-to-be-stranded-at-sea-for-three-months
[5]
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/03/secret-decks-found-on-ship-that-capsized-killing-thousands-of-sheep
[6]
https://www.ciwf.eu/news/2021/06/overwhelming-support-by-eu-parliament-for-ban-on-cages-for-farmed-animals
WeMove Europe is an independent and values-based organisation that seeks to build people power to transform Europe in the name of our community, future generations and the planet.
WeMove Europe is funded by donations from our community across Europe. Can you chip in with a few euros a month and help make sure we can move fast to win the campaigns that matter to all of us? Donate
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