INVESTIGATION INTO TRANSPORTS OF LIVE ANIMALS FROM ...

Transport of pigs from Spain to Italy, 23. - 25.01.2006
22:10
Ferry closes ramp and leaves. Montalban truck is parked on middle deck, directly next to the big
“openings”.
Temperature at 22:00: 1° Celsius, extremely cold and strong wind.
We inform the competent veterinary authorities on Sardinia and the Carabinieri del NAS at Cagliari
and ask for a control on arrival of the pigs at the slaughterhouse at Guasila.
Wednesday, 25 January 2006
We are informed that the competent veterinary service and the Carabinieri del NAS carried out a
check on arrival. Furthermore we are informed that the competent veterinary office imposed a sanction
for exceeded maximum journey times.
6. Arrival at destination
- Date & time of arrival: 25.01.2006, 09:22 (therefore: total transport time was 44 hours)
- Place of unloading: Slaughterhouse “Val del Sole” at Guasila (island Sardinia, Italy)
II. CONCLUSIONS
1. Deficient veterinary checks at place of departure in Spain
The veterinary service (1100102 Huesca) at place of departure in Spain should not have
authorized this transport by signing the accompanying documents as the transport was not in
compliance with relevant legislation.
1.1 Regarding accompanying documents
The veterinary service in Spain did not verify the estimated journey time (please see point
II.3). By the fact that the veterinary service in Spain stamped a route plan, which indicated a
non realistic estimated journey time and which did consequently not indicate the obligatory
unloading at a staging point during transport, it supported a false statement made by the
transporter. The veterinary service in Spain issued and signed an incorrect health certificate
as the indicated estimated journey time was not realistic. This constitutes a violation of
Council Directive 96/93/EC on the certification of animals and animal products. The
competent Spanish authority did not take all necessary steps to ensure the integrity of
certification as required in Art. 4 of Council Directive 96/93/EC.
1.2 Regarding loading density
It must be presumed that the veterinary service in Spain was either not present during loading
operations or did not pay the necessary attention to the loading density. (please see point
II.6).
2. Undue suffering of pigs
The transporter transported the animals in a way which caused them undue suffering
- as the permitted maximum journey time of 24 hours was exceeded by 20 hours
- as the pigs did not have continuous access to water. (During the time of our observation the
pigs were not fed, either)
- as the loading density was exceeded, in particular during sea transport; pigs do particularly
suffer from sea journeys and therefore must be granted more space compared to road
journeys.
This constitutes a violation of Art. 5, paragraph 1, lit. b of Council Directive 91/628 EEC as
amended by Council Directive 95/29 EC.
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Place and date of report: Freiburg, 04.03.2006 © Copyright Animals’ Angels e.V. ::::::
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