AR-News: (Ireland) Rest for truck drivers, but not for animals

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/opinion/Full_Story/did-sgsi6-GqPl3q-sg7IQHSme
YhNE.asp

07/04/04 
THE European Parliament’s vote recently to impose more stringent controls on 
live exports is to be welcomed, if only because any improvement in the welfare 
of farm animals is better than none.

However, this is nothing more than the usual EU fudge. 

The transport of live farm animals across countries, continents and oceans is 
the antithesis of sound animal welfare. 

Reducing the time an animal can be transported within the EU to nine hours 
before it is legally entitled to a rest period of 12 hours apparently is a big 
improvement on the current situation whereby animals can be transported 
non-stop however long the journey. 


Unfortunately, what the proposals give with one hand they take away with 
another by allowing transporters to leave the animals on the truck for the 12-hour 
rest period. 

Some rest that will be for the unfortunate animals, while the driver enjoys a 
leisurely 12-hour break.

Once again, an opportunity to end this horrid trade has been squandered, 
mainly due to the incessant lobbying of EU farming interests, none more vocal than 
Irish cattle exporters.

Gerry Boland,
Keadue, 
Co Roscommon. 




 
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