Transporting livestock in hot climates creates severe welfare risks from heat stress, dehydration, and exhaustion that kill millions of animals annually in international trade.
Long-distance live export of livestock for slaughter imposes welfare costs that cannot be adequately mitigated within the constraints of commercial transport systems. Animals on multi-week sea voyages experience heat stress, feed and water deprivation, exhaustion, and injury from overcrowding. The welfare alternative - slaughter near the point of production followed by chilled or frozen meat transport - is economically viable and eliminates the welfare losses of the journey entirely. Consumer and regulatory pressure for this transition is the most effective welfare intervention.