Millions of animals transported on overwhelmingly old and dangerous vessels, new report shows

A new report by the Animal Welfare Foundation e.V., Tierschutzbund Zürich, and Robin des Bois highlights the concerning state of the global livestock carrier fleet, which mainly consists of converted cargo ships that are decades old and suffer from technical deficiencies. These vessels are significantly more likely to be detained by port authorities, posing a significant risk to animal welfare as they transport tens of millions of live animals worldwide each year. Despite these risks, the practice of converting old ships into livestock carriers is growing.

The report describes the devastating consequences of using these old, substandard vessels, citing the case of the 53-year-old livestock carrier, Spiridon II, which transported nearly 3,000 cattle under appalling conditions leading to the death of hundreds of animals. The report calls for higher standards for live animal transport and urges governments to take decisive action to improve oversight and ban live exports to ensure the welfare of animals and people involved in the industry.