Millions of live animals are transported across borders and continents each year. Long-distance transport causes significant welfare harms that are increasingly subject to regulatory attention.
Long-distance live animal transport subjects animals to prolonged stress, physical injury, and suffering that is difficult to justify when alternative systems — slaughter closer to the farm with chilled or frozen transport — can achieve the same commercial outcome. Animals transported in hot conditions show severe heat stress. Those transported in crowded trucks suffer physical injuries. Long sea voyages to non-EU countries remove animals from EU welfare protections entirely. Ending live export in favor of meat export is the most direct welfare improvement available.