More than 130 charities, experts and celebrities including Brian Cox CBE, Alan Cumming OBE, Zoë Wanamaker CBE, and Joanna Lumley DBE, are calling for a ban on live exports, putting an end to the immense, unnecessary suffering of the millions of animals treated as little more than cargo every year.

Led by Compassion in World Farming, the global partners from 33 countries including Eurogroup for Animals, Four Paws, Animals International, and World Animal Protection have written to the intergovernmental body for animal health and welfare, WOAH, urging it to improve the standards to end the appalling conditions for farmed animals transported long distances. Every year, millions of farmed animals are transported by sea and road on long, gruelling journeys that can last weeks, and even months. They suffer overcrowding, extreme heat, hunger, dehydration, injury, severe stress and even death. 

The letter, sent ahead of Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day, comes at a crucial moment, as a revision of WOAH’s recommendations on animal transport is underway. With current standards based on a framework over 20 years old, the letter tasks veterinary representatives from WOAH’s 183 member countries to ensure the updates reflect the latest animal welfare science, and calls on them to commit to phase out the long-distance transport of live animals.

This is despite the possibility of replacing the transport of live animals with a trade in meat and carcasses, and genetic materials (embryos and semen) for breeding, which should render the expensive and dangerous practice of live transport unnecessary in most places.

Just last month, 4,000 sheep and goats died off the coast of Oman. The letter highlights these ‘periodic disasters’ which result in ‘tens of thousands’ of animals dying when vessels are targeted in conflict zones, or sink.

Beyond the immediate welfare concerns, the letter outlines how cramped, unsanitary conditions, and reduced animal immunity during transit also risk the spread of zoonotic disease across borders.

Live animal exports for fattening and slaughter were banned in Great Britain in 2024 on the grounds of cruelty, and New Zealand, Australia, and Germany all have partial bans and restrictions.

Charlotte Reid, Deputy Director of Global Campaigns at Compassion in World Farming, said: 

Animals are living, sentient beings, they are not cargo. There is no justification for forcing millions of animals to suffer these gruelling journeys every year.

With WOAH leading the revision in transport standards, now is the time for each and every member country to bring this cruelty to an end. Strengthening their guidelines to prioritise animal welfare is an important step, but ultimately, they must ban all live exports and consign this appalling trade to the history books.

Actor Brian Cox CBE, said:

No animal should have to endure weeks at sea or on the road, only to face slaughter far from where they started. It is cruel, outdated, and completely unnecessary.

It is suffering we can prevent, so we must ban live exports.

Please sign the Compassion in World Farming’s letter to WOAH and urge them to end this cruel trade once and for all.

The letter is now open for the general public to sign.

~ends~  

For more information contact:  Compassion in World Farming at media.team@ciwf.org or call +44 (0)1483 521 615.  

Notes to Editors  

Compassion in World Farming was founded in 1967 by a British dairy farmer who became horrified at the development of intensive factory farming. Today Compassion is the leading farm animal welfare organisation dedicated to ending factory farming and achieving humane and sustainable food. With headquarters in the UK, we have offices across Europe, in the US, China, and South Africa.  
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is currently revising its recommendations on ‘Animal welfare during transport’. Currently there are 3 separate transport chapters within the Terrestrial Animal Health Code for sea (7.2), land (7.3), and air (7.4). WOAH is working to streamline this Code through a "whole journey" approach, with one chapter that will apply to national and international transport by land, water, and on foot for cattle, buffaloes, camels, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, and equines.
WOAH’s consultation is out with WOAH Delegates, National Focal Points, Veterinary Authority representatives from 183 countries, and the Terrestrial Animal Health Commission. It closes on 6 July 2026.
In 2016, Compassion launched Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day – an annual day of global action on 14 June, where people worldwide unite to speak out against this horrific and outdated trade. This day marks the anniversary of 13,000 sheep losing their lives when exported from Romania to Jordan and then Somalia in 2015.
The awareness day has become a catalyst for action globally with a network of more than 150 NGOs and groups, spanning over 40 countries – from Brazil, to Australia, to South Korea.

Charities, celebrities, and experts urge end to live animal exports