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Heat protection for animals: Lower Saxony stops long animal transports!
Lower Saxony prohibits long animal transport at temperatures above 30 degrees in order to protect the animals' well-being and avoid overheating.
Heat protection for animals: Lower Saxony stops long animal transports!
The heat wave in Lower Saxony has once again attracted attentive ears: From now on, long animal transports are no longer permitted in our state if temperatures rise above 30 degrees Celsius. The Ministry of Agriculture considered this important decision in order to protect the welfare of the animals and avoid unnecessary stressful situations. Farmers and transporters now have to rethink if they want to transport their animals on longer journeys. That reports NDR.
The ban affects all transports that last longer than eight hours and contain clear guidelines. If transport is necessary in exceptional cases, the veterinary authorities are instructed to only authorize this in the cooler evening or night hours. Another point is that transporters must live up to their responsibilities - they are obliged to disclose the times and locations of their breaks. In addition, vehicles must be equipped with functioning ventilation and water supply systems; otherwise there is no transportation.
Heat poses a serious threat to animals
The decision to regulate so strictly was not made without reason. It is well known that extreme heat can place enormous stress on animals. Last week's Wednesday was the hottest day of the year, especially in western Lower Saxony, which underlines the need for this measure. In light of the incident on May 8th, when a truck carrying 160 pigs overturned and 60 animals died, the issue has taken on new urgency. The suspected illegal transport was stopped during an inspection after the drivers lacked the necessary documents NOZ reported.
The latest developments are part of a larger initiative that has already gained momentum at the federal level with the announcement by Federal Minister Julia Klöckner. In the future, exceeding temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius when transporting animals will be considered an administrative offense. Violations of the EU transport regulations can be punished with fines and the requirement to set up a database for transport routes would further optimize animal transport. Klöckner emphasizes that in the future more responsibility must be placed on transporters to ensure animal welfare. Information and monitoring should be better exchanged between the states via a proper database, which is also supported by the establishment of a federal-state working group BMEL.
How difficult it is to overcome these challenges is clear. With every transport, points such as refrigeration, water and routes that accompany the animals must be taken into account. One could say that transporters face a double challenge: not only do they have to comply with regulations, but they also have to keep the welfare of the animals in mind.