Protest against lifting of Swiss animal transport ban
Together with the Swiss Animal Protection (STS) the Agricultural Centre Switzerland is protesting against a proposed lifting of the international animal transport ban through Switzerland.
“The agricultural industry has put great effort in enhancing animal welfare and disease control in the last couple of years. It would be a shame to put this thorough disease control at risk,” said Joseph Kunz, vice-president for the Agricultural Centre. “In the EU some diseases, which have already been eradicated in Switzerland, could still be a problem. Farmers are not keen on taking the risk with these animal transports,” Kunz said.
STS spokesman Hans-Ulrich Huber said approximately 30 million head of cattle, pigs and sheep are transported through the whole of Europe, in which ‘extreme distances’ of 1,500 and 2,500 km and up until 90 hours are not uncommon. For this, the animals could be squeezed into large lorries. “We are collaborating with this when these lorries are allowed through Switzerland,” Huber said.
In case the transport ban will be cancelled, a public initiative will be ignited, Huber said, since research revealed that the majority of the Swiss public is favouring the ban.
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