McArthur welcomes animal transport assurances

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has welcomed reassurances that the Scottish Government will continue to make the case for sensible animal transportation regulations, which balance welfare issues with the practicalities of farming in rural areas such as Orkney.

Mr McArthur wrote to the Scotland’s rural affairs secretary after a vote in the European Parliament in favour of a blanket ban on animal transport journeys over eight hours, which has again raised concerns in Orkney about the potential impact on island farmers.

Mr McArthur said: “Effective animal welfare protection is essential, especially during transportation, but an absolute ban on journeys over eight hours is not the way to do this. Current regulations provide adequate protection, but more needs to be done to ensure these are applied properly and consistently throughout Europe.

“The European Parliament should be focussing its attention on improving enforcement of the current rules, rather than adding to the burdens on those who already comply.”