Cloning and
Animal Transport
Peter Stevenson
Compassion in World Farming
Cloning involves substantial
animal suffering
• Surrogate dams - EFSA:
– increased frequencies of abnormal or difficult
birth, especially in cattle
– ‘large offspring syndrome’ leads to Caesarean
sections being more frequent in cattle carrying
a clone than with conventional pregnancies
Health & Welfare of Clones
• EFSA: “The health and welfare
of a significant proportion of
clones ... have been found to
be adversely affected, often
severely and with a fatal
outcome”
• Most cloned embryos die
during pregnancy
• Of those that survive, a
significant proportion die early
in life from cardiovascular
failure, respiratory problems or
defective immune systems.
European Group on Ethics
• “Considering the current level of suffering
and health problems of surrogate dams
and animal clones, the EGE has doubts as
to whether cloning animals for food supply
is ethically justified”.
How is cloning likely to be used in
the livestock sector?
• Will be used to produce copies of highest yielding cows &
fastest growing pigs
• Traditional selective breeding has led to major health
problems for such animals
• EFSA: genetic selection for high milk yield is the major factor
causing poor health & welfare in dairy cows
• EFSA: genetic selection of pigs for rapid growth has led to leg
& cardiovascular disorders
• Cloning will lead to an even higher proportion of animals
suffering from such health & welfare problems
Commission report
• Proposes temporary suspension of:
– cloning in EU & import of clones
– sale of food from clones
• BUT permits:
– imports of offspring of clones & of semen &
embryos of clones
– sale of food from offspring
Impact of Commission report
• Allows EU farmers to use offspring of clones
(provided the cloning is carried out in third
country) & to sell meat & milk form offspring
• Will not deter cloning as industry does not want
to sell meat & milk from clones (they are elite
breeding stock)
• It is the meat & milk from the offspring that they
wish to sell & this will be permitted
• EU must ban all aspects of cloning
Need for improved
enforcement of Transport
Regulation
Journey log deficiencies
• Some authorities accept
journey logs with
unrealistically short
estimated journey
times
• as a result the rest
stops that are
obligatory for long
journeys are neither
planned nor carried out
Copyright Animals’ Angels
Unrealistically short estimated journey times
animals do not get 24h mid-journey rest
•
FVO report on France, 2009
– Authorities approve short estimated times for cattle to Sicily & Greece & pigs to
Sicily
•
FVO report on Belgium, 2009
– Journey logs examined from different countries were deficient, incomplete &
unrealistic
•
FVO report on Poland, 2010
– Authorities approve short estimated times for calves to Italy
•
Two FVO reports on Spain, 2010
– Authorities regularly approve unrealistic estimated times – in some cases actual
journey 3 times longer than indicated in log
•
FVO report on Lithuania, 2010
– “officials reviewing journey logs had failed to ensure that they were realistic for
the proposed journeys”
Failure to give food, water & rest
• Requirement often ignored to give animals food, water & 24h
rest part way through long journeys
• Sometimes no rest break at all
• Sometimes rest much shorter than required by 1/2005
• FVO, 2009: animals rested <24h in the case of 44 of the 55
consignments stopping at French control post
• FVO, 2009: calves arriving in Belgium after long journey from
other Member States sometimes get just 1h rest prior to reexport
Permitted stocking density often exceeded
• Overcrowding – particularly harmful when combined with
inadequate ventilation, water deprivation & high summer
temperatures
Copyright Animals’ Angels
Insufficient headroom
Copyright: Animals’ Angels
Unfit animals frequently transported
• FVO Bulgaria, 2009: unfit animals being transported
• FVO France, 2009: transport of unfit animals continues
to be a serious problem in France
• FVO Lithuania, 2010: transport of unfit animals to
slaughter
• FVO Spain, 2010: many cows with serious injuries &
arthritic lambs transported to slaughter
• FVO Spain, 2010: actions of CA “still not sufficient to
deter” transport of unfit animals