If you have the bandwidth or the patience to
upload a 5 mb file, here is a Quick Time version
of the 3 minute video uploaded above.

It's a reminder of the level of protests at the
height of the campaign against live exports
in the mid ninties.

Over 90% of the public want live exports banned.
They would support direct action and we have all
learned a lot since the mid 90's.

We can stop them!

Previous sailing on the 15th July.
CIWF mounted small and hasty protest including a banner drop from Dover cliffs.
 http://www.ciwf.co.uk/prs/2002/pr2002-07-15.htm

News Release 15th July 2002

ANIMAL EXPORT TRADE RESUMES TO PROTEST

For the first time since the Foot and Mouth crisis last year, live lambs were exported from Dover this morning. Five lorry loads of sheep arrived at the port in Welsh trucks and were loaded onto the ‘Caroline’ – the notorious ship which sailed regularly from Brightlingsea in 1995 and where protests brought the town to a halt.

This time, Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), who first led the campaign against the live export trade, received only six hours’ notice of the sailing. Campaigners drove overnight to Dover and demonstrated against the resumption, which included dropping a huge banner from the white cliffs in protest.

Joyce D’Silva, CIWF’s Director, says: “This time we had short notice. But, once we alert our supporters, we know they will flock to Dover to protest at the next sailing – if there is one.

“Compassion in World Farming repeats our call to Britain’s sheep farmers – time and again the public have declared their abhorrence of the live animal export trade. They have seen the pictures showing British sheep dehydrated and gasping for air on the docks in Italy, they’ve seen British sheep having their throats slit in abattoirs in Europe where welfare is an unknown concept. They once again urge sheep farmers to find markets for their sheep in the UK and abandon this cruel and obnoxious trade for good.”


 http://www.farmedanimalaction.co.uk/campaigns/liveexports/

LIVE EXPORTS
- A TRADE IN CRUELTY












A Brief History of Live Exports

The exportation of live animals from the UK to Europe originates from the 1950’s when American servicemen stationed in Holland, demanded freshly killed British beef. Farmers soon recognised the profits to be made and extended the shipments to sheep.

After pressure from the RSPCA to set up an enquiry into the cruelty that was rife at this time, a governmental enquiry was set up under the leadership of Lord Balfour. The resulting legislation became known as the ‘Balfour Assurances’ in 1957, which was intended to set down recommendations regarding animal welfare conditions.

Animals should travel no more than 100 kilometres from the overseas port

They were to be adequately fed and watered during journeys

No animal was to be re-exported to another country after arrival at its first destination

Continental slaughterhouses must always stun animals before slaughter

The number of animals being shipped abroad reached 655,000 by 1963. Instead of these new regulations being adhered to and enforced, the RSPCA witnessed continued acts of cruelty, neglect and disregard for the regulations. In the 1970’s, a BBC film crew followed one shipment and the footage resulted in the Minister of Agriculture, John Godber announcing that no further export licences for live sheep to Europe would be issued. However, the trade in cattle would continue. Public outcry was such that the Labour opposition put forward a motion to suspend all export licenses. The motion was successful and a ban was announced on all export licences from the following day, pending the findings of a full enquiry. When the report was published a year later it recommended a resumption of the trade with stricter controls being attached.

In 1975 live exports resumed. The numbers of animals being exported reached over 1 million in 1982. Despite these ‘stricter’ controls, animal welfare groups continually witnessed and documented evidence of the controls being routinely ignored.

In 1992, the liberalisation of free trade within EC states meant that long journeys increased. Public protest at this time was unprecedented. Undercover film was revealed showing horrendous conditions in European slaughterhouses. Hundreds of thousands of people targeted ferry companies urging them to refuse to take live exports by demonstrating outside of the docks and by launching a massive postcard campaign. The three ferry companies principally involved in shipping live exports finally gave way in 1994, but small freight companies set up contracts to enable the exports to continue. Coventry Airport and the Port of Dover tried to block live animal exports and so the live exporters took the case to court. The High Court ruled that ports and airports have an obligation to accept lawful animal exports, as ports are a ‘public service’. A private members bill to stop live animal exports was introduced into Parliament in February 1995 but ran out of time when one of William Waldegraves' aides spent 24 minutes reading chunks from the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Animals were again being exported to Europe and so the trade in cruelty goes on.


Numbers and Species

Before the Foot and Mouth epidemic (FMD) around 800,000 sheep and 100,000 sows were being exported to Europe mainly via seaports, although animals are also exported via airports. The vast majority of British sheep end up in Greece, Italy, France or Spain. Sheep and pigs are the main species of animals exported from the UK. Although other animals including horses and ponies are also exported.

Within the EU, cows, calves, sheep, lambs, pigs, piglets, horses and donkeys are exported for slaughter to other EU countries or outside the EU, usually to the Middle East and North Africa. In 1996, 500,000 live cattle were exported from the EU to the Middle East and North Africa. The main EU countries exporting animals to these 'third’ countries are Germany, the Republic of Ireland and France. Animals are transported all the way to the Middle East by sea from Ireland.


Calves are exported from Ireland to Northern France and then shipped by road to Dutch veal farms, where they are cramped into small crates to be kept in total darkness in order to keep their flesh white before being killed.


Suffering

A Bristol University research paper reached the conclusion that:

‘…transportation [of animals] is a stressful process involving psychological and physical stress’

Pigs are notoriously bad travellers - they often suffer extreme travel sickness. In addition, the travelling times sheep are forced to endure can often take up to 50 hours for a journey to Greece, investigators have stated that this is often without food or water. A transporter can accommodate 500 sheep at one time. These journeys result in stress, dehydration and exhaustion. Many animals fall and are trampled on by their companions.

In 1999, CIWF documented an incident in Bari, where UK and French sheep were left in the Italian port waiting for a ship to take them to Greece. They were kept locked in lorries without water in blistering heat for 48 hours. Around 115 UK lambs and 45 French sheep died in these appalling conditions - they were literally fried to death.


Once the animals have arrived at their destination, they are often brutally treated when unloaded. They are beaten and kicked and electric goads are often used to manoeuvre them to the abattoirs. Often, sheep are simply dragged by one front leg with their heads banging on the ground.

In Beirut, the unloading of injured animals whose hips or legs are broken involves having a rope tied around one or both legs and a crane then hoists the animal up from the ship’s hold and swings it across - dangling in mind air - to a waiting truck.

Pigs exported from the UK are often destined to be confined in sow stalls - a practice so cruel it is banned in the UK!

Slaughterhouses in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa make barbaric British standards look humane in comparison. EU law states that all animals (except those destined for ritual slaughter) must be stunned prior to slaughter. Often these simple procedures are not followed, and the animals are killed by throat slitting and are left to bleed to death.

In a 1996 a film was shot of a Lebanese slaughterhouse. CIWF states “…We see one cow that cannot get up, being kicked and hit with a stick; when this fails, one worker pokes his finger violently into the animal’s eye. When even this fails to raise the tortured animal, he tries to drag it along by its horns. Another animal that cannot move is pulled off the truck by its tail and clatters about 3ft to the ground, as the truck has no ramp. Time and time again the film shows scenes of great brutality"

EU laws are a sick joke. They are routinely flouted and ignored and enforcement is poor.


Legislation

When asked why the UK Government does not ban live exports the typical reply is;

‘This Government strongly prefers meat to be exported rather than live animals. However, two judgements of the European Court of Justice have confirmed that the UK does not have the legal powers, on the grounds of public morality or otherwise, to introduce a ban on live exports”

Before animals are exported from the UK, they must apparently be inspected by a vet to ensure they are fit to travel and are free of disease. The exporter pays the vet to carry out the inspection, which raises the question of independence. An assessment by a local vet who inspected livestock cargo at Shoreham Harbour stated:

‘The animals are being transported from the port of Shoreham on the Northern Cruiser are transported in road vehicles on board ship. This transport provides multi-deck compartments, which as I have witnessed, are filled to density, which makes the individual examination of any animal during transit in practical terms impossible. As a consequence, the veterinary examination of the consignment at the dockside is restricted to a cursory check to see whether all animals in transit are standing and not exhibiting a distressed respiratory pattern. The Welfare of Animals in Transit Order 1994 requires that where animals are transported by sea, there shall be provision for the isolation of ill or injured animals during the voyage and for first aid treatment to be given. Further, where animals are transported in road vehicles on board ship, direct access must be provided to each part of the animals compartment so that animals can if necessary be cared for. I have been advised that there is no provision for the isolation of ill or injured animals off the road vehicles and I have witnessed no vehicle which has a compartment at each deck level which could provide isolation for the care of injury or illness. Indeed the number of animals at each level of the triple deck vehicles ensures that an attempt to isolate one sick or injured animal would risk causing injury or distress to the remainder. This is a state of affairs, which clearly breaches the 1994 welfare of Animals in Transit Order.’

On 24th February, Keith Leonard, BBC ‘Vets in Practice’ star handed a petition signed by 3400 vets to Elliott Morley MP calling for and end to live exports for slaughter or for further fattening. This represents approximately half of Britain’s vets.




Tax Payers Money

This barbaric trade is generously subsidised by both the British taxpayer and through EU subsidies. The demand for ‘meat on the hoof’ in Europe has made greedy farmers disregard public opinion and continue to pursue profits through cruelty. (4 out of 5 people are against live exports - NOP Opinion poll February 2002) Sheep farmers also receive £350 million in subsidies per year from the tax payers pocket. In addition, the trade is heavily subsidised by the EU taxpayer though the payment of export funds to the tune of 90-290 million Euro. 80% of exports to Europe are in the form of carcasses - that is in the form of meat that has been killed in the UK. We think that should be 100%.

In addition, export refunds to the tune of £200 million per year are payable on beef exports to third countries. The purpose of this is to try and remove surplus cattle from the EU. Exporters are basically rewarded for producing too much beef and then disposing of it to other countries so as not to add to the ‘Beef Mountain’ in Europe. The European Commission states;

“Export restitutions are paid in order to encourage the export of animals which would otherwise be slaughtered in the Community and whose meat could then add to our already large stocks”



Who’s Who in the Decision Making Process

DEFRA MINISTERS

Secretary of State - Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP
Minister of State (Environment) - Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP
Minister of State (Rural Affairs) - Rt Hon Alun Michael MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Commons) - Elliot Morley MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Lords) - Lord Witty of Camberwell

In April 2002, Farmed Animal Action asked all of the current 86 UK Members of the European Parliament (MEP) the following question;

“What is your position regarding the exportation of live animals from the UK to Europe?”







The following MEP’s have responded to the question (Correct at May 7th 2002)

MEP REGION COMMENTS
Michael Cashman West Midlands (Lab) Totally opposed to live exports
Roger Helmer East Midlands (Con) Against live exports - particularly horses
Robert Sturdy Cambridge/Beds ( Opposed in principle to live exports
Peter Skinner Supports moves to reduce the transportation of live animals both within and across national borders
Eurig Wyn Questioned necessity for live exports but insists the policy is market driven.
Eslpeth Attwooll In favour of carcass-based trade but has to take account of problems of island farmers in remote areas who have to transport their animals
Richard Balfe Believes live exports should be discontinued
David Robert Bowe Yorkshire & Humber Same response as Peter Skinner
Den Dover Totally opposed


The Present Situation

In February 2002, The Department for the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) advised that the EU’s Standing Veterinary Committee agreed to the lifting of the remaining FMD restrictions on exports of FMD susceptible live animals from Great Britain.


MP Gwyn Prosser introduced an Early Day Motion (EDM 795) on February 5th. The wording is as follows:

This house is concerned that following the end of foot and mouth disease, many farmers & traders wish to resume the export of live lambs & sheep for slaughter abroad, notes that prior to the FMD epidemic, the UK was exporting around 800,000 sheep a year through Dover to continental abattoirs, with many of the animals being sent all the way to Italy, Greece & Spain; is concerned that the animals suffer greatly during the long journeys to southern Europe, where all too often they are killed in abattoirs which use illegal slaughter methods; notes that around three-quarters of UK sheep exports are in meat form & accordingly urges sheep farmers not to re-start the live export trade, but instead, through vigorous marketing on the continent, to convert the whole of UK sheep exports into a meat trade; & urges Her Majesty’s Government to do all it can to ensure that the cruel live export trade does not resume, but if it does resume to endeavour to bring it to an end.

The following MP’s have signed to date (1st May 2002)

Mr Gwyn Prosser Janet Anderson Ms Candy Atherton Mr David Atkinson John Austin Mr Adrian Bailey Mr Tony Banks Mr Harry Barnes Mr John Battle Mr Roy Beggs Mr Roger Berry Mr Harold Best Mr David Borrow Peter Bottomley Tom Brake Kevin Brennan Mrs Annette L Brooke Mr Russell Brown Ms Karen Buck Colin Burgon Mr Paul Burstow Dr Vincent Cable Mrs Patsy Calton Mr Ronnie Campbell Mr Martin Caton Mr David Chaytor Mr David Chidgey Mr Michael Clapham Mrs Helen Clark Mr Tony Clarke Ann Clwyd Harry Cohen Frank Cook Jeremy Corbyn Brian Cotter Tom Cox Mr David Crausby Mrs Ann Cryer Mr John Cummings Mr Jim Cunningham Valerie Davey Mr Ian Davidson Geraint Davies Mr Terry Davis Mrs Janet Dean Mr Andrew Dismore Jim Dobbin Mr Brian H Donohoe Sue Doughty Clive Efford Jeff Ennis Mr Bill Etherington Mr Mark Fisher Paul Flynn Mr Don Foster Mr Neil Gerrard Dr Ian Gibson Sandra Gidley Jane Griffiths David Hamilton Mr Mike Hancock Mr Stephen Hepburn Lady Hermon Mr David Hinchliffe Paul Holmes Mr Kelvin Hopkins Mrs Joan Humble Dr Brian Iddon Mr Eric Illsley Glenda Jackson Lynne Jones Mr Nigel Jones Mr Piara S Khabra Dr Ashok Kumar Mr Mark Lazarowicz Mr David Lepper Mr Terry Lewis Tim Loughton Alice Mahon Rob Marris Mr Gordon Marsden Mr Paul Marsden Mr David Marshall Mr Eric Martlew Chris McCafferty John McDonnell Mr Kevin McNamara Mr Tony McWalter Mr Alan Meale Mr Austin Mitchell Laura Moffatt Mr Chris Mullin Ms Meg Munn Dr Doug Naysmith Mr Edward O'Hara Mr Martin O'Neill Mr Mark Oaten Mr Bill Olner Diana Organ Dr Nick Palmer Linda Perham Mr Peter L Pike Mr Greg Pope Mr Stephen Pound Mr Gordon Prentice Dr John Pugh Syd Rapson John Robertson Mr Ernie Ross Bob Russell Christine Russell Mr Adrian Sanders Phil Sawford Mr Brian Sedgemore Mr Richard Shepherd Mr Jim Sheridan Ms Debra Shipley Mr Alan Simpson Mr Marsha Singh Mr Dennis Skinner Llew Smith Bob Spink Mr Gerry Steinberg Mr Paul Stinchcombe David Taylor Sir Teddy Taylor Dr Jenny Tonge Dr Desmond Turner Dr Rudi Vis Mr Robert N Wareing Angela Watkinson Brian White Mr Alan Williams (Swansea West) Mrs Betty Williams Pete Wishart Mr Mike Wood David Wright

NB. An Early Day Motion (EDM) is a colloquial term for a notice of a motion given by a Member of Parliament for which no date has been fixed for debate; there is as a result, very little prospect of these motions being debated. Nowadays, EDM’s exist to allow Members to put on record their opinion on a subject and canvass support for it from fellow Members. They do this by inviting, actively or passively, other Members to endorse the proposed motion.


The European Commission (Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General) commissioned a report of the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare in March 2002. (The Welfare of animals during transport). The main recommendations are as follows;

An animal transport journey should be regarded as commencing when the first animal is loaded on to a vehicle and as ending when the last animal is unloaded. The same animals should not be regarded as commencing a new journey until a period of 48 hours, in farm conditions sufficient for rest and recuperation of the animals with adequate food and water provided, has passed since the end of the previous journey.

Vehicles should be designed so that the basic needs of animals for safety, thermal comfort and adequate movement can be met.

All animals on a livestock transport vehicle should be inspected by the person responsible for them to ascertain whether they continue to be fit for transport, no later than eight hours after travel commences. After this time, they should be inspected once every 4.5 hours. If they animals cannot be individually inspected, travel times should be limited to eight hours.

Pigs, cattle, sheep and horses should not be unloaded from transport vehicles at staging points.

No person should be allowed to be responsible for assessing that animals are fit for transport, loading animals on to a transport vehicle, driving a road transport vehicle that is carrying livestock, checking that animals on a transport vehicle are fit to continue, or unloading animals from a livestock vehicle unless that person has received proper training and holds a certificate stating this. The necessity for careful braking and acceleration should be emphasised.

Piglets of less than 4 weeks of age, lambs of less than 1 week of age and calves of less than 2 weeks of age should not be transported.

A twitch should not be used for horses.

The grasping or lifting of sheep by their wool should not be permitted.

Beating or poking of farm animals with a stick, the use of a stick on sensitive areas such as the eyes, mouth, ano-genital regions or belly, the twisting of tails or ears, and the use of electric goads should not be permitted.

The space allowance provided for each animal, which prefers to stand during transport, should be such that it can adopt a position maintaining balance without any contact with other animals or with the vehicle or partition walls and without a high risk of falling. The space allowance for each animal, which needs to lie during transport, should allow it to adopt a comfortable lying position without a significant risk of being walked on by other animals.

All transported horses should be in individual stalls.

A maximum of 8 hours after a journey commences, horses, pigs, calves (up to 6 months of age) and lambs of 20kg or less should have a rest period of at least six hours, during which time they have food and water available on the vehicle which all individuals can eat and drink. A maximum of 12 hours after a journey commences, cattle and sheep should have a rest period of six hours during which they are provided with, on the vehicle, food and water, which all individuals can eat and drink. For horses, pigs, calves and lambs (up to 20kg) when a journey has continued for 8 hours plus 6 hours rest, plus a further 8 hours travel, all should have a rest period of at least 24 hours. For cattle and sheep, when a journey has continued for 12 hours, plus 6 hours rest plus a further 12 hours, all should rest for 24 hours.

The transport of lactating sows, whose piglets have been removed within the last 48 hours, should be avoided where possible but, if they are transported, the journey should not last for more than 4 hours.

Sea crossings of animal transport vehicles on roll-on roll-off ferries should not be permitted if there is a likelihood of winds of force 5 or above, or if sea conditions are those produced by such winds.


The Way Forward

Yet again, we see a set of recommendations that if adopted as EU law, pay lip service to the extreme suffering these animals experience during the transportation process and the overwhelming public opposition to live exports. As demonstrated in the past, these regulations would be extremely difficult to enforce and pay absolutely no attention to the fate of these animals when transported on to 'third countries'. Farmed Animal Action believes that the trade in live animal exports should attract an outright ban. There will be no compromise when there is blatant cruelty and suffering of sentient beings. The British Government has been hiding behind EU legislation for too long and should effect a ban immediately as a show of faith in the majority of the British public who are totally against this trade.

We will campaign tirelessly until this vile trade ceases by lobbying MP’s in the UK and MEP’s in Brussels. We will ensure that this issue is kept high profile within the media by funding investigative work so that the British public is made aware of the continuation of this trade.

Here is the video in RealVideo format
since Indymedia Videloop only uses
that format.

Its 3mb, 3 minutes

The mpeg4 file doesn't play for me with mplayer or cisco's mpeg4player on linux. I also can't play the quicktime version. The Real version is fine though :)

Errm.. I am not sure what's up.
My local versions work and the file lengths are the same. I should try the uploaded ones but my bandwidth sucks.
I know some people had trouble with another MPEG4 file I uploaded (DEFRA video) and they solved that with an upgrade to Windows Media Player from www.micro$oft.com

Sorry for the problems. Shame only the realplayer version worked ;-) I HATE REALPLAYER

Help stop this cruel trade.