Long Distance Transport and Welfare of Farm Animals

WSPA HWC Report 4pp Cover:WSPA HWC Report 4pp Cover 31/1/08 12:06 Page 3THE SCIENCE OFANIMAL WELFAREScientists agree that transport is generally an exceptionally stressfulepisode in the life of an animal. 1 It involves changes to the animal’swhole environment. It may be handled and mixed with unfamiliar animals,subjected to changes in temperature and air movement, possibly hurtor injured and restricted in space, feed and water.The framework most widely used by scientists for expressing the complexityof animal welfare is the ‘Five Freedoms’ formulated by the UKGovernment’s advisory scientific committee – the Farm Animal WelfareCouncil (FAWC). 2There is considerable scientific evidence that long distance transportcauses many welfare problems for farm animals. As a result, it is commonfor welfare to be compromised in all the areas indicated by the FiveFreedoms.Tens of thousands of sheep routinely starve to death on ships fromAustralia, simply because they cannot recognise the concentrated feedpellets as food after a lifetime spent grazing grass.Laying hens frequently suffer the pain and discomfort of broken boneswhen removed from battery cages and placed into transport crates. 3Pig behaviour has demonstrated the distress that the noise and vibrationof transport causes. Scientists found that pigs trained to push a switch ina noisy, vibrating transport simulator all learned to turn the simulator off,and soon kept the apparatus switched off for about 75% of the time. 4Transportation is completely unnatural for animals. Forms of sufferingcaused by transport include hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, frustration,fear, disease and distress. Suffering increases directly with the length ofjourney endured. The issue of whether live long distance transport ofanimals, only to be slaughtered at the journey’s end, is justified at allwhen they could be slaughtered on the farm, or at one of the nearestabattoirs, deserves much more attention.THE FIVE FREEDOMS OF ANIMAL WELFARE (FAWC) 2Animals should have:Freedom from hunger and thirstFreedom from discomfortFreedom from pain, injury and diseaseFreedom to express normal behaviourFreedom from fear and distressby ready access to fresh water and a diet tomaintain full health and vigourby providing an appropriate environment, includingshelter and a comfortable resting areaby prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatmentby providing sufficient space, proper facilities andcompany of the animal’s own kindby ensuring conditions and treatment which avoidmental suffering