Stop Live Transport #BanLiveExports

The 14^th June is Ban Live Exports: International Awareness Day 14^th June 2020 
Stop Live Transport #BanLiveExports

It is a day of global action where people worldwide come together to speak out against live export and urge people in power to make it stop.

Standards of transport vary and what animals have to go through before their reach their destination – and usually an inevitable end of life – cannot be described. Overcrowding, exhaustion, dehydration, pain, stress, illness, disease, a lack of legal protection and unexpected events such as fires, sinking ships all feature in #liveexport which is why #BanLiveExports day takes place.  

Ban Live Export - see where else it takes place in the world

Hence #BanLiveExports Day

Because of COVID-19/Coronavirus, there are no offline events this year.  However, there’s plenty to do online, i.e. and I quote from Ban Live Exports’ website:

1. Share campaign actions and materials on social media
2. Participate in online events organised by the global network
3. Organise your own online event or social media action with friends and family. Get inspired here
4. Take part in the global twitterstorm on the 14^th of June, from 11am to 1pm, using the #BanLiveExports
5. Visit the Facebook page

Find out about Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and see what you can do to help them.   They were founded in 1967 by a British farmer who was horrified by the development of modern, intensive factory farming. CIWF are calling for an end to all factory farming practices.

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) has a number of things you can do – and from their website:

• UK citizens can demand justice from the Scottish Government for thousands of unweaned calves exported from Scotland to Spain every year. 
• EU citizens can urge European Commissioners stop exports from the EU to non-EU countries.
• Show your support and witness the live export sailings at the Port of Ramsgate organised by Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE).  You can also visit Stop Live Exports from the Port of Ramsgate page Facebook.
• Sign up for email alerts for updates on this and other Compassion campaigns. 
• Spread the word and share things you find on CIWF’s website to let people know what is happening.  Look at CIWF’s reports on live transport and their live transport investigations.

In addition, you can do more...

Be informed about Live Export - where is it happening?

Take a look at this map showing the live transport network – it shows how incredibly extensive it is. The maps show you the live trade in LIVE cattle, sheep and pigs.  Note the word LIVE.   That means they are living when they make these long journeys. What can it be like for these animals?  I just daren’t think. 

See more maps here, worldwide, from BanLiveExport's website

Change your diet

We can all go vegetarian or vegan or at least introduce more of these meals into our diets to reduce the need for meat.

Go for local

If we eat meat, we can buy local wherever we can. Avoid anywhere which supports intensive factory farming.

Ask questions before you order when eating out

Check where meat dishes come from – who supplies the places with meat when you eat out? Which country has it come from?  That will give you an idea of how far it has travelled.   

Animals have no voice - but we do

Consider the environmental impact

If nothing else, consider the impact on the environment all this live transport has, and also the impact on the land use for agriculture in the first place. 

Join other campaigns as well to improve animal welfare

End the Cage Age – this is a campaign from Compassion in World Farming to end the cage age.  Have you signed their petition?  CIWF are calling on the government to introduce new laws that would ban cages for ALL farm animals in the UK.  The more we can show governments that we care about animal welfare, the better.  Sign here now.

The images on this page are from stoplivetransport.org's website.