Long Distance Transport and Welfare of Farm Animals

WSPA HWC Report 36pp Text:WSPA HWC Report 36pp Text 16/1/08 10:52 Page 3180,000 head per year, falling to half this number by 2003. At the same timethe volume of horsemeat exported rose from the carcass equivalent of some10,000 head in 1995 to an average carcass equivalent of almost 40,000 headin the period 2000-2003.However, whilst these live imports from Eastern Europe have declined, welfareconcerns have been growing over increasing imports of live horses from Spainto Italy. In 2005, this new trade route had grown to 10,136 horses, with the lackof enforcement of animal welfare regulations in Spain resulting in excessivelivestock densities and journeys of over 30 hours without rest at a stagingpoint, water or feed.The incentive for the live horse trade would appear to be primarily related tothe fact that if the meat is slaughtered in Italy it can be misleadingly marketedas being meat of Italian origin. Changes in legislation are needed to preventconsumers being misled regarding the country of origin.THE ECONOMICS OF CRUELTYIt is often said that the cost of transporting meat in refrigerated vehiclesinhibits the conversion of the live slaughter trade into an entirely carcasstrade. 55However, research has shown that the transport of carcasses is cheaper thanlive transport when the regulations are followed. 55 Other studies have similarlyfound that transporting live animals is only cheaper when unacceptably crueltransport conditions are used.Research into the economics of the live horse and horsemeat trade fromHungary to Italy also showed that transport costs were lower for carcasses,except when horses were transported under the sub-optimal conditions thatwere commonly in use at that time. 56When the conditions of live animal transport were raised and enforced properlyin accordance with EU rules, the economic balance changed abruptly and itbecame cheaper to transport meat rather than live horses.BEYOND CRUELTY. BEYOND REASON. LONG DISTANCE TRANSPORT AND WELFARE OF FARM ANIMALS. 31