Current transport regulations in Canada do not fully protect animals

The findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, revealed shortcomings in the enforcement of transport regulations designed to protect billions of livestock transported on long journeys within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the EU (including the UK) and the US.

Transporting live animals, an unavoidable part of the lives of most farm animals, is a stressful experience in which they are often subjected to long periods of transport without adequate food, water or rest. For example, in Canada, some animals can be transported for 36 hours without access to food, water or rest.

The researchers identified four key risk factors associated with the transport of live animals: suitability for transport, duration of travel, climatic conditions and available space. They also analyzed how effectively the rules were structured to prevent animal welfare problems.

The study's findings highlighted that all countries could improve their regulations and identify key areas for new policies . The lack of a specified maximum transport time for all animals in all countries is one of the identified shortcomings, which means that animals can be transported over several days. Additionally, not all countries require regular rest breaks during long trips, and those that do set this standard often provide too short a period for full recovery.

Updating transport regulations using the latest scientific advances can be an important step towards improving animal welfare during transport and making the livestock industry more consistent with public values.

The research team also analyzed recent and proposed changes to the regulations, such as the proposed ban on the export of livestock for slaughter and fattening from the UK. These changes have not yet been implemented into legislation or are being considered as possible options.