Neil Parish MP, Chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare met with animal welfare campaigners and presented with a giant postcard addressed to the Minister, George Eustice MP, in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
On Thursday 3rd July, the RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and Kent Action Against Live Exports marched through London to Westminster to call for immediate action to end the cruel and unnecessary trade in live farm animals.
Research shows that 69% of British people think farm animals should not be travelling over 8 hours, yet journeys can take far longer, with one recorded journey of sheep travelling between the south of England and Stuttgart taking over 23 hours.*
Unfortunately, due to EU trade rules, the Government is unable to ban live exports directly. Defra has maintained that it would prefer to see a trade in meat - yet Ministers have taken no steps to work with the industry toward this and there are concerns that regulations in place to protect animals during transport are not being enforced.
Campaigners met with Neil Parish MP, Chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare to present him with a giant postcard to take to Defra. Together the organisations are calling on George Eustice MP, Minister responsible for animal welfare to:
● work with the industry to move to an alternative trade in meat
● implement 100% checks at the port
● amend the 1847 Ports Act so ports can choose to reject the trade.
Addressing the crowd Neil Parish MP said: “The government have repeatedly said they are in favour of a carcass trade – so now it’s time that action is made. By growing demand for British sheep meat and processing their meat locally, rather than transporting live animals for hundreds of miles, we could support the British sheep industry, create jobs and improve the welfare of thousands of farm animals.”
“Despite over 20 years of tireless campaigning against this trade, tens of thousands of farm animals are still being exported to the continent for further fattening and slaughter each year and these long journeys have shown to cause unnecessary suffering to animals such as calves and sheep. Its time this cruel trade ended once and for all and Britain moved to an alternative a trade in meat. We appreciate Neil Parish's time to come out to accept the letter and giant postcard for Defra and I know those who attended the march were encouraged by a supportive MP being present” added Eloise Shavelar, RSPCA farm animal campaign manager.