OldDog/NewTricks
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Europe cracks down on animal transport
Wednesday, 27/02/2008
The UK branch of the RSPCA says strict regulations governing the
transport of animals in the European Union has led to better welfare standards.
Each new truck has to have a GPS device, and the movement of every
animal is logged. Nations can be sanctioned if they are found to be transporting animals inappropriately.
Julia Wrathall from the RSPCA says Australia can learn from what's
being done in the EU.
"But certainly a number of them, a number of the rules that we have in
place, for example, the one relating to competency of the hauler, which
in the EU requires that the hauler has an understanding of the physiology
and behaviour of the species they're transporting and that they understand, for example, the impact of their driving style on the animal welfare, those things are very relevant whereever animals are transported," she says.
Australia is heading in a similar direction. National legislation will be introduced this year for the transportation of livestock.
Luke Fraser from the Australian Livestock Transporters Association,
says enforcement will be the real issue.
"Anyone out there who knows all the problems we have not having enough police to look after human issues would know that governments find it very difficult to enforce things, just in terms of resources out on the
ground," he says.
"If you tried to have animal welfare inspectors running around in cars
with flashing lights that's a big burden and it's not necessarily going to
get to the heart of the problem all the time".
...
Europe cracks down on animal transport
Wednesday, 27/02/2008
The UK branch of the RSPCA says strict regulations governing the
transport of animals in the European Union has led to better welfare standards.
Each new truck has to have a GPS device, and the movement of every
animal is logged. Nations can be sanctioned if they are found to be transporting animals inappropriately.
Julia Wrathall from the RSPCA says Australia can learn from what's
being done in the EU.
"But certainly a number of them, a number of the rules that we have in
place, for example, the one relating to competency of the hauler, which
in the EU requires that the hauler has an understanding of the physiology
and behaviour of the species they're transporting and that they understand, for example, the impact of their driving style on the animal welfare, those things are very relevant whereever animals are transported," she says.
Australia is heading in a similar direction. National legislation will be introduced this year for the transportation of livestock.
Luke Fraser from the Australian Livestock Transporters Association,
says enforcement will be the real issue.
"Anyone out there who knows all the problems we have not having enough police to look after human issues would know that governments find it very difficult to enforce things, just in terms of resources out on the
ground," he says.
"If you tried to have animal welfare inspectors running around in cars
with flashing lights that's a big burden and it's not necessarily going to
get to the heart of the problem all the time".