[Digest] Workshop: Animal welfare during transport

Workshop on “Animal Welfare during transport” – Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT) – (25 May 2021 – 9.00 to 12.00 – Spinelli Building, Room 1G3) This Workshop, organised by the Policy Department and the ANIT Committee Secretariat, included four presentations. It was structured in two parts, followed by question-answers sessions. The first two presentations dealt with the particular welfare needs in the transport of unweaned animals and pregnant females (a), and the animal welfare on sea vessels (b), while the following two presentations focused on the welfare in the transport of aquatic animals (c), and the welfare during the transport in third countries (d): 1^st PART

1. Particular welfare needs in animal transport: unweaned animals and pregnant females (Speaker: Mr Antonio Velarde, from Institute for Food and Agriculture Research and Technology (IRTA) – Spain)
2. Animal welfare on sea vessels and criteria for approval of vessel authorisation (Speaker: Ms. Maria Boada Saña, D.V.M. ; M.P.S. in Animal Law).

Q & A session Presentation 1: Presentation 2: 2^nd PART

1. Particular welfare needs in animal transport: aquatic animals (Mr Douglas WALEY, from Eurogroup for Animals);
2. The practices of animal welfare during transport in third countries: an overview (Speaker: Mr Michael Marahrens, from Friedrich Loeffler Institut (FLI) – Germany).

Q & A session Presentation 1: Presentation 2: The Workshop provided the ANIT Committee with a better perspective and policy recommendations regarding the welfare in the transport of vulnerable groups of animals, and the problematic of the transport by sea. In addition, it also gave an overview and proposals for addressing the welfare of fish during transport, as well as the practices regarding transport in third countries. The ANIT Members showed positive interest in the inputs of the experts, and posed questions in great variety of subjects . They inquired mainly on the feasibility of banning the transport of the animals in vulnerable groups (in particular unweaned animals), the possible measures for supporting the livestock producers and transporters in complying with EU law, possible European funds for sea vessels companies to comply with EU legislation, the use of the TRACES systems in fish and other aquatic animals, and legislation in third countries showing good practices, compared to the European legislation (in particular Brazil and Australia). The Experts, in their answers, elaborated on topics such as the need for adequate legislation addressing the animals in vulnerable groups (unweaned animals and pregnant females), and the impact of temperature during sea journeys. Watch video of the event (with multilingual interpretation):