Vienna, 02 July 2024 – In May 2024, Australia’s parliament announced to put an end to the cruel maritime live export of sheep from 2028 onwards. Now in July – not even two months later – the legislation has officially passed. This decision is a historic day for farm animal welfare. Australia has stepped forward to protect sheep on sea – it is now high time for the EU – the world’s biggest exporter of live animals – to follow Australia’s example. Animals across the world still suffer on gruesome journeys by land and sea – it is high time to end cruel transports and transition towards alternatives such as a trade in meat and carcasses.

Australia is banning the export of sheep by sea. But what about the EU?

1.5 billion poultry and 51 million cattle, pigs, sheep and goats are transported within and outside of the European Union annually by road and sea. After poultry, sheep are the EU’s most exported animals. Behind these numbers are real-life tragedies that happen too frequently and lead to unnecessary suffering. Untreated injuries, heat strokes, or malnourishment are just a few of the gruesome reasons animals die at sea. Disasters that could be avoided if the EU decided to ban the export of live animals by sea.

FOUR PAWS calls on decision makers in the EU and globally to finally address the animal welfare violations of live animal transport by sea and once and for all put an end to this cruel means of transport:

• Ban live animal transport by sea
• Ban live animal transport to third countries
• Shift to a transport of meat and carcasses instead of live animals
• Stop long-distance land transports over eight hours (four hours for poultry) and ideally transport animals to the nearest appropriate slaughterhouses under strict control measures