It is now illegal to export live animals, including cattle, sheep, and pigs, for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain as the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act has come into force today (Monday, July 22).
While the ban affects the export of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and horses for fattening and slaughter from Great Britain, it does not prevent the export of livestock and horses for breeding or competitions.
The live export ban applies to journeys from, and transit journeys through, Great Britain to destinations outside of the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. It does not apply in Northern Ireland.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said this ban, which came into law in May 2024, will “protect animals from enduring stress, exhaustion and injury on long and unnecessary export journeys”.
Export of live animals
DEFRA said the act will “ensure that animals are slaughtered domestically in high welfare UK slaughterhouses, reinforcing our position as a nation of animal lovers and a world leader on animal welfare, boosting the value of British meat and helping to grow the economy”.
The new government is committed to introducing the “most ambitious” programme for animal welfare in a generation, which includes banning the “brutal practices” of puppy smuggling and farming, and the use of snare traps, DEFRA said.
Baroness Hayman of Ullock, who was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DEFRA earlier this month, said: “For too long, animals have been left to suffer in silence.
“I have fought for many years for this legislation to be implemented. It represents a huge win for animal welfare, ending the cruel practice of exporting live animals for slaughter and fattening.
“No longer will British animals endure stress, exhaustion, and injury on long and unnecessary journeys abroad. These are just the first steps in our plans to implement the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation.”
Ireland
The ban removes Great Britain as a land bridge for movement of livestock for slaughter, meaning no livestock can be taken from Northern Ireland or Ireland through Great Britain and onwards to mainland Europe for slaughter.
Data from the European Commission’s Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), however, show that livestock exported from Ireland for slaughter to other EU member states do not travel via Great Britain.
