Together with the Spanish organization Anda Animals‘ Angels checks on cattle and pig transports on the route from Spain to Italy. Compared to the situation 10 years ago the transports have improved. The representatives of the agriculture industry and of the transporters as well as the competent authorities gladly boast about this. But what does “improved transports” actually mean? It means, that there is no longer blood flowing down the outer walls of the trucks. But the animals on board the trucks are still suffering from heat, thirst, limited space, stress and fear. And like 10 years ago none of the transporters really complies with the requirements of the EU legislation on the protection of animals during transport. Economic interests are more important than good transport conditions and the protection of the animals is regularly neglected. The animals are loaded at about noon despite extremely high temperatures and heat warnings, trucks are overloaded so that the animals do not have enough space to lie down, trucks are not equipped with a water system, etc. On one truck there is a bovine with a broken horn and crusts of blood on the nose – indicating problems during loading. Long distance transports of animals “for slaughter and further fattening” are never carried out according to the law, as this would render them economically unreasonable. And there is no doubt that they cannot be carried out without causing suffering to the animals. Thus the transport times for animals “for slaughter and further fattening” have to finally be drastically reduced!
