Eyes on Animals dropped by the pig assembly station belonging to the Dutch transport company Neerkant to observe the loading of pigs for export. As they were in the middle of renovating their stable, there were no pigs present. However, we were given a tour of their recent improvements- new ventialtors to keep the air cool and fresh and more water nipples. Neerkant boasted that in 2008 they only had 4 pigs that died during transport on their vehicles. It is very unfortunate for these 4 pigs, but Eyes on Animals is most impressed with their statistics, as this is extremely low for a company that regularly exports pigs. We know this company very well, and know that they do indeed take smart measures to avoid animal suffering during transport, and we encourage them to keep this up!
Eyes on Animals -
15.07.2009 Meeting with Dutch transport company Neerkant
 |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
Transport
All farmed animals are transported at least once in their lifetime. Journeys can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks. Transport is known to be one of the most stressful experiences for animals. They are moved from a familiar territory to a new one and are held often under very crowded conditions. They get separated from each other and mixed with unfamiliar animals, which can lead to stress and fighting. Sometimes there is no water and feed available or the animals cannot reach it. Animals that wish to lie down during the journey are at risk of being trampled by the others. Sometimes conditions on board are very cold or very hot, leading to animals dying from hypothermia and suffocation. There are laws in place to prevent these types of problems, but there is very little official inspection during the journey to check if these laws are respected. Eyes on Animals regularly trails and checks livestock transport consignments to see if the welfare of the animals is respected during transit.
