North america

Abstract

Transportation is one of the most stressful events in a farmed animal's life. Because nearlyall of the billions of farmed animals raised in North America are subjected to transportationat some point during their lives, transportation is also one of the most important welfareissues affecting farmed animals.This chapter reviews the available information on farmed animal transport in NorthAmerica with particular reference to road transport of animals destined for slaughter.Because animal welfare generally declines with increasing journey length the chapter willemphasize problems associated with long-distance transport. While 'long-distance transport'has not been concretely defi ned or agreed upon in the scientifi c literature or by advocacygroups, for the purpose of this chapter journeys exceeding 8-12 h of non-stop travel aregenerally regarded as 'long-distance'. This characterization is consistent with the recommendationsfor travel and rest periods for horses, pigs, sheep and cattle, set forth by theEuropean Scientifi c Committee on Animal Health and Welfare.Deprivation of food and water, overcrowding, lack of opportunities for rest and prolongedexposure to extreme heat or cold are commonly cited welfare concerns associated withlong-distance transport. Poor and abusive handling of animals during loading and unloadingand at auctions also increases animal stress and suffering during the transport process.Despite this, animals may be transported across multiple states, regions or provincesand across national borders for fattening and slaughter. Some may even be moved acrossnational borders for slaughter only for the meat then to be shipped back to their countriesof origin for consumption.The exact number of animals affected by long-distance transport and the distancescommonly travelled are diffi cult to determine because data on livestock movements in theUSA, Canada and Mexico are highly fragmented and limited in scope. The primary reasonfor this is lack of accurate record keeping at the state, province and country level.The transport of livestock in North America is infl uenced by many factors. The economiccosts of transporting animals (which tend to be lower than transporting feed) andgeographical differences in feed and forage availability and prices, as well as the developmentand location of feedlots and slaughterhouses largely determine where animals will betransported and at what stage of production. Live animal movements across the nationalboundaries between the USA and Canada and the USA and Mexico is normal practice asanimals move to pastures, feedlots or to more available slaughter facilities.The setting of travel time limits, rest periods and provisioning of food and water for livestockduring road transport seems to be fundamental in addressing animal welfare concerns.While Canada, the USA and Mexico each have varying laws, codes and regulations governingthe transport of farmed animals, there are signifi cant shortcomings in scope and enforcementwhich present signifi cant challenges for ensuring animal welfare in each of these countries.Because animal protection legislation stems largely from civil society pressure, publiceducation and advocacy will be fundamental in effecting lasting change for transportedfarmed animals in North America. © WSPA 2008.