eu animal welfare.....

[chessie]

Sure - you're all going to shout and abuse me because this article is from one of the most hasted UK newsapers - the Express.

But the report is carried out by animal welfare groups- and if you doubt this article then go and read the animal welfare web-sites.   This is the true picture of european union 'animal welfare' - great isn't it ?   And the eu is BREAKING all its own rules........wonderful organisation isn't it ?   When I have pointed out that the UK has higher animal welfare standards than the eu I got shouted at - well, here's the truth.   And I'll bet not many of you will watch, but will continue to deny what's happening.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/696138/EU-cruelty-gruesome-animals-dying-appalling-transports

'The gruesome scenes have come to light after a five-year

investigation by Eyes on Animals, Animal Welfare Foundation and

Tierschutzbund Zurich, which looked into the transport conditions from

EU countries to Turkey. 

The animal campaigners have now published

their findings in a 1000 page report and they found that as many as 70

per cent of all inspected livestock trucks from EU countries to Turkey

violate the European Regulation EC 1/2005 on the protection of animals

during transport.

The eu - and its supporters - should be ashamed.

[idun]

I know, not going to shout about it.

I thought we all knew to be honest.

[andyh4]

I am not going to shout you down either, but I am going to say that implying the EU is breaking its own regulations is like saying the Conservative Government is doing the same thing because theft occurs in the UK and theft is illegal.

It is unclear where this incident occurred, was it in the EU or Turkey? The fact that the Turkish importer was on-hand suggests that it may not have been in the EU but that is far from clear.

The thing that will disturb most is I am sure the visual presentation of a Caesarean, but what else is supposed to happen with a cow that has a stillborn calf that cannot be delivered by normal means - bloody and gory certainly, but very similar would happen in a farm anywhere in the world - provided the cow had access to a vet - other wise a slow and painful death. I hope everyone has enjoyed their steak and frites lunch.

The reality of eating meat is that some animals will suffer - and even in the best, most caring of environments which I fully accept this was not.

Thank you for posting nevertheless Chessie. It may make some think about where their meat comes from.

[woolybanana]

It is not the EU reg that are the problem or the EU itself but the member states which allow these things to take place either through deliberately ignoring rules or by grossly inadequate inspection procedures.

And of course, animal trading and transport are rough trades which will do anything to make a buck and which seem to have no real care for animal welfare.

One could go on.

[Gluestick]

I would not shout you down, Chessie.

Mankind, today, has a most unpleasant relationship with animals, who are simply treated as a commodity for making money.

Point of fact, Britain is not squeaky clean, either. Many slaughterhouses leave much to be desired.

Personally, I am particularly concerned with Islamic Hal Al abattoirs: many examples of heinous treatment of supposed dumb animals.

So sadly today, so-called "Civilised Society" has placed money grubbing above human compassion and acceptable behaviour: the French "hamburger" meat trading scam illustrates the warped mindset.

I must say, behind our house in Pas de Calais was grazing land and the local young farmer treated his bovines with kindness and care and the animals simply adored being let free, after Hiver, to run around the field kicking up their heels in delight to live, eat and graze naturally.

Slightly different to the new UK factory farms...

My wife and I eat less and less meat, these days.

I find the guy rather pretentious, however, Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall has my admiration for his campaign regarding intensively reared chicken.

If you haven't visited an intensive chicken unit, then don't!

Same with intensive pig breeding: I was on a project in Southern Ireland in the late 1970s- early 80s for a major agribusiness group, part of which was intensive pig breeding...

Suffice to say, despite loving bacon, bangers, pork etc, I couldn't touch it for quite a few years afterwards. It took three dry cleans to remove the dreadful stink from the suit I wore that day.

[chessie]

Aw - thanks everyone for not dismissing my concerns....

Here's my position;  I'm a non-meat eater - have been for more than 30 years;  was one of the first Body Shop customers, have not used Revlon products for years, have thrown out anything 'scrubss' that contains microbeads - and didn't realise about microbeads and fleeces. 

In this day and age there is absolutely no excuse for animal cruelty.  But there is totally no excuse whatsoever for live transportation of animals.   To see that it is happening in 'our' eu, despite all the rules, regs, Diktats, etc etc - and the eu is complicit in all this is heart-breaking.

Why on earth are european countries involved in live exports anyway.   In the days of freexers and frozen transport there is no need for it to happen - none whatsoever.

I accept that even the UK has its bad apples - the UK can't pretend its 'purer than the driven,,' because it's not.  But the UK does have higher animal welfare standards, and the UK now has closed-circuit cameras in abbatoirs - and one has to have a degree of trust in that these systems are operating as they should.

Although I don't eat meat, OH despite all my years of trying to change diet still likes his steaks etc - but he doesn't have those very often.   Ideally I think everyone who eats meat should take an interest in animal welfare - and should be walked through an abbatoir at least once.

And for those who think Halal is just saying 'prayers to a Sky Pixie' really need to think again - it is the most appalling end to an animal's life imaginable.   And if anyone's interested I can provide links to Halal slaughter as well - but it's gruesome (and you'll need a sick bucket...)

For those with strong stomachs - and a degree of concern - here's some links -www.liveexportshame.com

https://secure.animalsaustralia.org/appeal/viet2016/?

www.thguardian.com/world/2016/jan/10/live-export-sheep-and-cattle-die-on-ship-stranded-in-pert

www.unleashed.orgg.au/blog/live+export

I have family ties to Oz so I'm well tuned in to their animal welfare campaigns.   But similar campaigns take place in the uk but receive scant publicity.

Thank you Gluestick - I too enjoy watching the young calves - see the cows and calves walk line abreast over a field because that's how they've been fed in the barns...takes them ages to get out of the habit.   The closing of a lot of local abbatoirs in the UK has been a disaster becuase now animals have to be transported greater distances - and again that was because of eu Diktats......

I'm sorry - this is a personal soap-box of mine - but I was very disturbed at the eu's ignoring of its own rules that set me off (again !!)

Hope you're all enjoying the night markets .....

Chessie

[andyh4]

There is a case for live transportation - but only animals for breeding or movement to different feeding grounds. otherwise I agree, for meat there is no excuse for transporting live animals.

[Rabbie]

I must declare an interest in this discussion. I do like my meat. I do not eat pork mainly because my OH does not eat it on welfare grounds. To be honest sheep and horse meat are probably the most ethically correct meats as those animals are most likely to have grown up in a natural state.

As regards animal welfare some of the most horrendous cases of animal cruelty have occurred here in the UK despite our laws. Laws do not solve problems unless they are enforced consistently and law enforcement is a national responsibility. To blame the EU for failure to enforce the laws is as misguided as to blame the EU for floods or any other act of nature. The blame lies with national governments who do not enforce laws they have passed.

I admire Chessie's commitment to this cause but (s)he should point the finger at those who are really to blame and not at the convenient scapegoat.  

[Gluestick]

[quote user="andyh4"]There is a case for live transportation - but only animals for breeding or movement to different feeding grounds. otherwise I agree, for meat there is no excuse for transporting live animals.[/quote]

Essentially, andy, I would wholly agree.

However, the causal driver for mass transportation of live animals has been, the glorious EU, once again...

Why?

Simply because EDU regulations on animal welfare and food standards, closed shed loads of abattoirs and in order to meet compliance regulations, massive new killing factories were set up by venal operators.

One of the results of this clever EU "Improvement", resulted in an inhumane environment with minimum wage employment and employees who were all too often not the brightest and nicest bunnies in the burrow.

Please do not watch this if you are easily distressed and sensitive!

The first is North Yorkshire.

Here:

Here:

[woolybanana]

Why?

Simply because EDU regulations on animal welfare and food standards, closed shed loads of abattoirs and in order to meet compliance regulations, massive new killing factories were set up by venal operators.

One of the results of this clever EU "Improvement", resulted in an inhumane environment with minimum wage employment and employees who were all too often not the brightest and nicest bunnies in the burrow.

Gluey, are you suggesting the North Yorkshire folk are both 'venal' and "not the brightest and nicest bunnies in the burrow?" Is it because of this that abbatoirs tend to gravitate there or did the abbatoirs make them like it? Which came first, the chicken or the burrow?

Mark you, I o tend to agree with the basic premise!

[Gluestick]

Not at all imputing anything negative reference Yorkshire people; yeomen of England.

It was the Hal Al abattoir which happened to be sited in North Yorks.

The Killing Factories are now located all over Europe.

On your final point, a chicken and an egg were in bed just having made frenetic love.

In his post-coital bliss, the Chicken lit up a fag, inhaled deeply, blew out a streamer of blue smoke, turned to the egg and said "Well, that solves the oldest riddle in the World then!"