OXENHOPE welfare campaigners spearheaded West Yorkshire protests against transportation of live farm animals.

The three activists, leading members of Keighley Compassion in World Farming, crossed the moors to Hebden Bridge for an awareness demonstration in Hebden Bridge.

Anne Taylor, Stuart Taylor and Polly Gregg put their message to the public alongside fellow members of the organisation from Hebden Bridge, Burnley and Leeds.

Compassion in World Farming had organised events across the UK, and internationally, as part of the Stop Live Transport campaign.

Anne said: “Events were held across the world to demonstrate global opposition to this horrific trade, including a flagship rally at Hyde Park, London.

“In Hebden Bridge we invited people to sign a petition against live export to Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, which will be debated in parliament when it reaches 100,000 signatures.”

“Volunteers were overwhelmed by the level of support and interest, with nearly 200 people signing the petition, and over a hundred signing a letter to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

“It’s time for the Government to take action and enforce a UK-wide ban on live exports for slaughter and further fattening.”

Compassion in World Farming has asked that while animals were still being killed for meat, they should be fattened and slaughtered as close as possible to their place of birth.

The group said that every year thousands of farm animals faced long and gruelling journeys overseas for fattening or slaughter, including unweaned calves.

A spokesman said: “Forced to travel for hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles, animals routinely experience pain, stress, overcrowding, exhaustion, and dehydration. Many even die in these horrific conditions.

“There has also been extensive undercover footage taken by animal welfare groups showing that animals routinely face brutal treatment during and at the end of the journey.”

The group said that figures from the Animal and Plant Health Agency showed that around 40,000 sheep were exported from Britain for slaughter on the continent each year, and around 5,500 calves are sent from Scotland on long journeys to Spain and Italy to be fattened for beef and veal. This is a by-product of the dairy industry.

It is not only the suffering animals face during long distance transport that concerns us, says CIWF, when animals leave the EU, they are no longer protected by EU law. In almost all non EU countries the welfare standards are lower, and animals face brutal treatment at the time of slaughter.

Anne Taylor started the local Compassion in World Farming group last August after learning about the cruelty involved in factory farming and that animal agriculture was responsible for more Greenhouse Gas Emissions than all the transport systems put together.

She said animal agriculture was also responsible for deforestation, species extinction, dead zones as a result of large amounts of waste polluting local water sources, monocultures, and excessive water usage.

She added: “With increasing strain on the worlds natural resources and millions of people unable to feed themselves, it’s unsustainable and morally questionable to continue rearing 70 billion farm animals for meat and dairy and feeding them crops which could be used to feed people.”

“There is also increasing evidence about the health problems associated with a meat and dairy diet such as World Health Organisation stating processed meat is a group one carcinogen.”

Anyone wishing to join the local group should email Anne at keighleyciwf@gmail.com or visit ciwf.org.