SA’s international animal welfare reputation at risk

NATIONAL NEWS - A diverse group of animal welfare organisations, including Humane World for Animals South Africa, Four Paws and Stop Live Export South Africa are all calling for a ban on live animal transport by sea for slaughter and for the Minister of Agriculture to stop the proposed formalisation of this practice in law.

Tony Gerrans, Executive Director of Humane World for Animals South Africa, says that Minister John Steenhuisen’s draft Regulations that seek to legitimise this practice and embed it in our legal framework are entirely at odds with national sentiment and international trends.

South Africans are being called on to object to this cruel legislation before the deadline of Monday 25 August.

Gerrans says, “While the rest of the world moves against the cruel and inhumane practice of shipping live animals long distances by sea for slaughter, the South African Government is trying to greenwash the industry with a set of wholly inadequate regulations.

"Not only do we believe that this is against the expressed will of most South Africans, but government’s argument that this is necessary and supports small-scale farmers is not supported by good evidence. There are other ways to promote economic development that are not contingent on cruelty.

"We hope that South Africans will stand up for South African animals and demand an end to cruel live transport,” he says.

Cow lying in faeces. Photo: NSPCA

Regulations against the international trend away from animal cruelty

Driven by overwhelming evidence that live export subjects animals to prolonged and unavoidable suffering, many countries have taken steps to ban this cruel trade. These include Luxembourg, New Zealand, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Even Australia, historically one of the largest exporters of sheep to the Middle East, has committed to a full ban by 2028.

“The issue is that even comprehensive and well enforced regulations cannot address the inherent cruelty of the practice. Australia, whose Senate Select Committee on Animal Welfare warned in 1985 that live export by sea was incompatible with animal welfare, tried unsuccessfully for decades to regulate live export welfare with their comprehensive and advanced regulatory systems, the ESCAS and ASEL schemes. That country has now agreed to phase it out,” he says.

There is a lack of transparency from both government and Al Mawashi (a Kuwaiti company involved in the international trade and export of live sheep and cattle, with a significant presence in South Africa) about circumstances on these ships.

However, the NSPCA inspections of the Berlin feedlot outside East London and in departing ships, SPCA inspections of the Al Kuwait livestock carrier that docked in Cape Town in 2024, and countless examples from other deep-sea shipments all prove that conditions on these ships are deplorable and incompatible with any reasonable notion of animal welfare, explains Gerrans.

Sheep in transport. Photo: Animal Welfare Foundation

Few benefits to small-scale, emerging farmers
Gerrans says that the Department’s attempt to frame the trade as a socio-economic boon to the industry and especially emerging farmers is also not proven.

“The reality is that the vast majority of livestock exported are owned by wealthy commercial farmers, not small-scale or emerging farmers,” he says.

Government is persisting with regulation despite loud public outcry
Gerrans says that Humane World is concerned that government is persisting with these cruel and regressive regulations despite loud and persistent public outcry. “We have seen marches to parliament, petitions, protests as well as public statements from the South African Veterinary Association, the Muslim Judicial Council and numerous civil society organisations,” he says.

“Despite the overwhelming critical feedback to the 2021 Guidelines, virtually no changes and no credible improvements were made to those Guidelines nor incorporated in the current draft Regulations. The Regulations contain no scientifically based welfare benchmarks, no effective enforcement provisions, and no guarantee of transparency. In essence, they amount to a bureaucratic façade that cannot meaningfully protect animals at sea or at destination.” he says.

SA Gov is greenwashing this practice when there are more humane alternatives

“The Minister of Agriculture is legally charged with upholding animal welfare. These draft Regulations are not a sincere attempt to protect animals, but rather a cynical effort to greenwash a practice that should never have been allowed in the first place,” says Gerrans.

“While SA law restricts road transport to 18 hours, sea journeys last for days or even weeks. Animals are exposed to relentless stressors: overcrowding, excessive heat and humidity, constant noise and motion, exposure to ammonia from accumulated waste, and a near-total absence of individualised veterinary care,” he says.

“The government is not being honest about the harms these animals suffer, nor the real extent of the benefits and the benefit sharing of this inhumane practice,” he says.

“While government maintains that its regulatory approach prioritises animal welfare, there is ample global evidence that these systems result in immense animal suffering - and are near-impossible to monitor once the animals leave South African shores.

“Once animals are at sea, there is no independent monitoring and even when regulations do exist, they are unenforceable” he says.

Live export on board in 2018. Photo: NSPCA

Inadequate animal welfare laws in destination countries

“We are also concerned about what happens to the animals when they reach their destination, as destination countries often lack even the most basic animal protection laws. South Africa is clearly sending sentient beings into suffering with no guarantee of humane treatment at the other end,” says Gerrans.

“There are other ways to trade that are more humane and more suitable to SA’s developmental and financial needs.”

Photo: Animal Welfare Foundation

Vets must stand against this practice

The vet profession must guard against being used to legitimise the government’s live export ambitions, since the regulatory scheme is largely contingent on vets normalising what happens to these animals,” says Gerrans.

“Given the suffering and even death associated with live export, participating in this trade, even on the pretext of reducing suffering, is inconsistent with the duties of care and ethics associated with the profession. South Africans expect, and demand, that vets to do the right thing and ensure South African animals don’t suffer unnecessarily in the pursuit of profits.

"In 2020, the South African Veterinary Association condemned live export on welfare grounds when South Africans were rallying to stop a controversial shipment of 85 000 sheep to the Middle East,” he says.

“We trust they will again make their voice heard to end this horrible practice. We call on all South Africans will once again stand together and say no to this cruel practice by objecting to the proposed regulations by 25 August,” says Gerrans.

Access the regulations and instructions on how to submit comments here.

To submit comments on the draft regulations, please email VPH@Dalrrd.gov.za and copy RegulationsComments@stopliveexport.co.za

The public may also submit their comments on the Dear South Africa website.