In view of the heatwave and the increase in lorry traffic, the German Animal Welfare Federation is warning of the dangers facing animals during transport. As more goods are being shifted onto the roads due to low water levels in German rivers, there is a risk of further traffic congestion. The German Animal Welfare Association is therefore calling on Federal Minister for Agriculture Alois Rainer and Federal Minister for Transport Steffen Bilger to immediately impose a nationwide ban on the transport of live animals during the heatwave.
“The transport of animals is pure stress for cattle, pigs, sheep and poultry, particularly in hot weather. If the shift of freight transport from waterways to the roads leads to even more traffic, there is a risk of increasing traffic jams. For the animals in transport vehicles, this can become an ordeal that ends in death. There are insufficient facilities along the motorways should loaded livestock lorries become stuck for hours on end. Ministers Rainer and Bilger are therefore called upon to act immediately and ban the transport of live animals during periods of extreme heat,” says Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation.
Where transport cannot be avoided, the German Animal Welfare Federation demands that it be well planned and kept as short as possible. Journeys should take place during the cooler morning or evening hours wherever possible. Furthermore, the loading density must be reduced. If the outside temperature is so high that ventilation is insufficient to reliably prevent heat stress in the animals, vehicles with active cooling systems must be used. A sufficient supply of water for the animals must be ensured at all times. Border control posts and abattoirs must also plan their procedures in such a way as to avoid long waiting times for livestock transporters, according to the Animal Welfare Association.
The German Animal Welfare Transport Regulation permits domestic transport to abattoirs for a maximum duration of eight hours. If it cannot be guaranteed that the outside temperature during transport will not exceed 30 degrees, the maximum journey time is reduced to 4.5 hours. For cross-border transport, the significantly longer EU journey times apply: cattle may be on the move for up to 29 hours before a mandatory 24-hour rest period is required, and pigs for up to 24 hours. “The current regulations are inadequate and cannot reliably protect animals during transport. Heat stress can become a serious problem for farm animals even at significantly lower temperatures and over shorter distances – particularly if the journey takes considerably longer than planned due to a traffic jam. Direct sunlight and a lack of air circulation can further exacerbate the stress enormously,” criticises Schröder.
