Animal welfare campaigners fear Michael Gove could backtrack on pledge to ban live exports after Brexit

Activists warn loophole – exports for fattening – should also be closed to put an end to 'cruel and needless' trade

The government could be preparing to backtrack on a key post-Brexit pledge on animal welfare – a ban on live exports, campaigners fear.

They are lobbying environment secretary Michael Gove to stick with his plan to halt exports of live farm animals for slaughter.

And the curb should be widened to exclude a potential loophole that would allow the trade to continue, activists say – sheep and cattle sent abroad for further fattening. Otherwise unscrupulous dealers could be exporting farm animals for slaughter under the guise of fattening.

Official figures show that each year at least 4,000 sheep are transported from the UK to Europe for slaughter, with an estimated 6,000 calves exported from Northern Ireland.

Animal lovers celebrated when, in April and May, Mr Gove held a public consultation on a proposed ban of living creatures for slaughter. They had battled for years to highlight the cramped, unnatural conditions on export trucks during long journeys with insufficient water in often sweltering temperatures.

But now environment and food officials have asked advisers on the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) to review the conditions animals are subjected to during long-distance live transport and to make recommendations on improving them.

Campaigners from charity Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) say this raises suspicions that the government may be backing away from a ban on the “cruel and completely unnecessary” practice.

It’s such a shame to take an issue and not go far enough that it actually deals with the issue

Deborah Meaden

More than 320,000 petition signatures were handed to the government asking it to ensure that live animal exports would be banned post-Brexit.

However, there are fears that ministers could be about to cave in to pressure from the Scottish government, which opposes a ban. Scottish farmers regularly send young, unweaned calves to countries such as Spain on journeys lasting 100 hours or more, and Scotland’s Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing says a ban would cause “substantial harm” to the nation’s livestock sector.

Last year more than 5,000 very young calves were packed into lorries and sent from Scotland to Spain. The 2017 figure was a rise on 2016 because of the dispute between Westminster and Holyrood over the future of the trade.

A cross-party motion to instruct the Scottish government to end the trade has been put down.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union is also against the planned halt to the live export trade. David Brown, of the union, said: “The live export of cattle and sheep forms an integral part of the Northern Ireland livestock sector, injecting in excess of £70m into local farm businesses per year.” It was essential for farmers to have access to European markets, he added.

The UK’s National Sheep Association has also defended the practice as it helps to raise prices.

Calves and sheep suffer from overcrowding and overheating in transport lorries, say critics (Reuters)

CIWF warns that from Europe some UK animals may be re-exported to the Middle East or north African countries such as Libya, where conditions for handling and slaughter are “very far below EU standards”.

“Wouldn’t it be easy to evade a ban by simply relabelling a slaughter consignment as being for fattening? An ineffective law is undesirable in principle and would deeply disappoint people who have been encouraged by Mr Gove’s statements,” said a CIWF spokesperson.

Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden has backed a ban on exports for fattening.

‘It’s such a shame to take an issue and not go far enough that it actually deals with the issue. If you honestly believe it’s the wrong thing to do, shut it down!’ she told CIWF head Philip Lymbery.

The group has launched a new petition for a post-Brexit ban on live exports for both slaughter and fattening.

Supporters are also lobbying Mr Gove to enshrine recognition of animal sentience – the ability to suffer and feel fear and pain – into UK law after the UK leaves the EU.

Last month Defra said it was delaying moves to put sentience into law, announcing it was still working on it “with the intention of introducing any necessary legislation” before Brexit.

The EU Withdrawal Act 2018 did not include provision to transfer recognition of sentience into UK law but Mr Gove pledged that it would happen.

A Defra spokeswoman said the public consultation this year was on both curbing live exports and animal welfare during transport, and that FAWC was reviewing just transport. The two should not be conflated, she said.

“We remain fully committed to controlling the export of live farm animals for slaughter when we leave the EU and are considering next steps following our call for evidence. All options, including an outright ban, are on the table.

“In addition we have asked the Farm Animal Welfare Committee to make recommendations on how we can improve the welfare of farm animals during all transport, including journeys within the UK. We look forward to receiving their findings later this year.

“And in terms of sentience – we will continue to work with welfare organisations to ensure that animal sentience is properly recognised in our legislation once we have left the EU.”