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Published 26/02/2016
A new report has been produced, including 15 investigations carried out over a five year period.
Eyes on Animals, Animal Welfare Foundation | Tierschutzbund Zürich, with support from Compassion, found animals illegally kept on trucks at the Turkish border for days on end in squalid conditions.
Immense animal suffering
This five year report has uncovered repeated systematic breaches of basic animal welfare laws, causing immense animal suffering.
Some of the investigations show animals were given no shade in extremely high temperatures, and also endured a basic lack of food and water, with some animals exhibiting signs of extreme dehydration.
Shocking facts revealed:
- Animals were left on overloaded, crowded trucks, in temperatures up to 41.5°C
- Many animals remained on the trucks for days at a time
- 900,000 sheep, 850,000 cattle and 5,000 goats were exported from the EU to Turkey in the period from 2010 to 2015
- 70% of transporters inspected were breaking at least one EU regulation
- The worst offenders were trucks originating from Hungary, Bulgaria and France
Despite evidence of these conditions being brought to the attention of the authorities many times over the course of five years, no action was taken by The Commission or member states to put a stop to these practices.
Illegal trade
A 1000-page dossier compiles all the evidence found during this lengthy investigation. This document is to be handed to EU authorities and politicians in a bid to put an end to the trade, which is expected to increase in 2016.
The coalition of animal welfare organisations state:
“We call for a ban on long-distance animal transport from the EU to Turkey. Neither the EU Commission, the Member States, the Turkish authorities, nor the exporters and importers are willing to ensure that such transports are carried out in conformity with the law. It is a trade that is being conducted illegally and we do not believe authorities are capable of enforcing the regulations. As such the trade must be stopped.”
