The South African Veterinary Association’s (SAVA) has released a formal position statement opposing the export of live animals by sea for slaughter at destination.SAVA joins many other international veterinary associations in condemning
The South African Veterinary Association’s (SAVA) has released a formal position statement opposing the export of live animals by sea for slaughter at destination.
SAVA joins many other international veterinary associations in condemning this practice. SAVA’s statement draws on extensive peer-reviewed scientific research to conclude that the welfare of animals transported by sea is unavoidably compromised. It identifies a range of inherent harms, among them thermal stress, dangerous ammonia accumulation, the physical impact of ship motion, and risk of infectious disease. It makes a distinction that these are not incidental risks capable of being regulated away, but rather structural features of every shipment.
South Africa’s National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) commends the position.
“We are deeply encouraged by SAVA’s statement,” says the NSPCA’s Consulting Veterinarian, Dr Bryce Marock. Marock has engaged with SAVA on this issue over an extended period and was invited by the World Veterinary Association, of which SAVA is a member, in 2024 to speak about the welfare problems encountered during the transportation of animals by sea.
“The science has always been clear. What has been missing is the weight of the veterinary profession speaking with one voice. That voice has now been raised, and it cannot
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