Live export of livestock for slaughter subjects animals to extreme welfare risks during long sea and road journeys. The welfare case for slaughter near origin and trade in chilled meat is strong.
Live export for slaughter imposes some of the most severe and sustained welfare harms in the global livestock system. Animals are transported for days or weeks in conditions that cause chronic heat stress, dehydration, respiratory disease from accumulated ammonia and faeces, and significant injury from crowding and falls. Mortality rates on long-distance voyages, while variable, indicate systemic welfare failure. The fundamental welfare problem is that the journey is not incidental to production — it is a lengthy, stressful experience that the animal must endure entirely. The alternative — slaughtering animals near their point of origin and trading chilled or frozen meat — eliminates this welfare harm entirely while preserving trade value. Economic objections from exporters and cultural preferences from importers have prevented transition in many trade corridors, but the trajectory — driven by welfare scandals, regulatory pressure, and consumer campaigns — is toward restriction and phase-out. Where live export continues, minimum welfare standards for vessel design, stocking density, feed, water, ventilation, and veterinary oversight provide partial mitigation but do not eliminate the fundamental problem.