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Ending factory farming. Ending animal cruelty.
Cows in a transport container looking outward through slits on the container. One cow looks directly at the camera.

Calling for global standards to end live exports 

Sign our open letter

Every year, millions of farmed animals worldwide are forced to endure journeys of hundreds or even thousands of miles, only to be slaughtered on arrival or fattened in often inhumane conditions.  Calves, cattle, sheep, pigs, and other animals are routinely transported by road and sea, for days or even weeks. For example, cattle from Australia to the Middle East can face over 20 days at sea, and sheep face grueling 13-day journeys from Southern Africa to Mauritius.  

The dangers go beyond the cruel conditions on board. In May 2026, 4000 sheep and goats died on board a ship after it caught fire and sank, reportedly after an aerial strike off the coast of Oman.   

These animals may suffer:    

  • Overcrowding   
  • Exhaustion, hunger and dehydration  
  • Fear and stress   
  • An uncertain fate    

Many animals don’t even survive – evidence shows they die from heat stress, prolonged hunger and thirst, dehydration, exhaustion, injury and respiratory disease. 

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), an international body that is the global authority on animal health, is the only international body enforcing standards for animal welfare in transit. WOAH is currently revising recommendations on ‘Animal welfare during transport’ that will apply to national and international transport by land, water, and on foot for cattle, buffaloes, camels, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and equines.    

These standards, once finalised in 2027, will be adopted by 183 countries. Therefore, it is crucial that we come together to influence what is included globally and enforced nationally.   

Please sign our Open Letter calling for the new standard to be an urgent step towards ending the long-distance transport and ensuring an end to the transport of live animals to conflict-affected regions.   

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World transport standards must bring an end to live exports 

 

Long distance transport is unnecessary and causes extreme suffering for farmed animals. Please sign our Open Letter calling on global representatives to bring about an end to this cruel trade 

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Letter to WOAH

Dear  

  • Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, Director General of WOAH 
  • Regional representatives for the global WOAH regions 
  • Veterinary Authority representatives of WOAH’s 183 member countries 

Long distance transport of live animals 

The signatories of this letter are pleased that the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is revising its recommendations on the transport of animals.  

We therefore call on you, and all stakeholders, to consider the benefits of using this current revision as a critical opportunity to bring the long-distance transport of live animals to an end. Indeed, this is recognised in principle by the current Terrestrial Animal Health Code and the latest draft for consolidated Chapter 7.2 stating that: 

“Longer journeys increase risks to animal welfare.” and recommending that “Journeys should be kept as short as possible.” 

We urge that these principles underscore the revisions made for the transport of live animals, alongside the growing evidence of animal welfare science that the long-distance transport of live farmed animals causes pain and suffering.  

We respectfully urge WOAH and its members to strengthen the guidance and enforcement in a manner that further improves animal welfare, reduces disease risk and ends the transport of animals to conflict-affected regions and regions that repeatedly fail to enforce animal welfare legislation. 

Such revisions should be an urgent step towards ending the long-distance transport of live farmed animals and replacing it with the transport of carcasses, meat, milk powder and genetic material. 

Yours Sincerely, 

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