Animals can suffer terribly on way to continent

Your report, "Calls made to revive live sheep exports" (3 August), said Terry Bayliss, the chairman of Farmers’ First Meat Group, had argued the case for resumption of live exports at a National Sheep Event. Regaining this trade, he said, could add 7/8p per kilo, or £40 million a year to producers’ receipts.

Compassion in World Farming and Advocates for Animals believe it is not possible to put a price on unnecessary animal suffering. After all, we are talking about sentient beings. It is unacceptable to subject them to the miseries of the live export trade.

Indeed, this view is shared by Tim Bennett, the president of the National Farmers’ Union. In this week’s Farmer’s Weekly he is reported as saying: "We need to kill animals as close to their production point as possible."

Animals can suffer terribly in the long journey to the continent. They become dehydrated, exhausted and stressed. Some get injured, while others collapse on the floor of the truck, where they are trampled on. In the worst cases, many die.

Of the animals that go to Holland, Belgium and northern France, many are re-exported just 24 hours later to southern Europe. Once exported, many British animals are killed in abattoirs where animal welfare is an unknown concept.

European Commission reports have shown that European Union welfare laws during transport are routinely breached by the authorities in countries which are the main destinations for live exports.

While we understand that farmers need to maximise their income, we believe there is a responsibility on everyone who buys farm produce to understand that a continual pressure on price will result in the lowering of standards which can lead to poor animal welfare. It is also the responsibility of politicians and government officials to find ways to ensure farmers can survive by using ethical and humane farming practices.

Compassion in World Farming and Advocates for Animals are lobbying for a maximum overall limit of eight hours to be placed on all journeys to slaughter or for further fattening.

KERRY BURGESS Communications director Compassion in World Farming

ROSS MINETT Director, Advocates for Animals

c/o Petersfield

Hampshire