Brazil has been forced to stop live exports of cattle after a judge in the country struck down the practice on animal welfare grounds.
According to Reuters, the verdict was delivered by a federal judge on Tuesday (April 25).
The Brazilian government will have the ability to appeal the decision.
A Brazilian animal welfare non-government organisation (NGO), known in English as the National Forum for the Protection and Defense of Animals, had filled a lawsuit in 2017 asking for the export of live cattle to be banned.
Brazil’s agriculture minister, Carlos Favaro, told Reuters that a decision had not yet been made as to whether the government will appeal the decision.
He defended Brazil’s live cattle exports, saying that buyers of the cattle in destination markets would not buy cattle that may lose weight while being transported.
He added that the conditions animals travel in when being exported from Brazil are adequate.
Live exports in EU
In other developments related to the trade of live cattle, the European Court of Auditors has called for an EU-level IT system to track all live animal journeys, including domestic transport, to improve monitoring.
In a review published last week, the court said that cameras and sensors could also be used to measure animal welfare standards.
Auditors said that data on the transport of live animals in the EU is fragmented and the European Commission does not have a full and centralised overview.
The ECA said that this review provides an opportunity to contribute to the debate on animal transport as part of the revision of the EU’s animal welfare legislation.
The EU Commission intends to propose revised animal welfare rules by the end of the year.
Eva Lindstrom, the auditor in charge of the court’s review, said: “EU animal transport legislation is not evenly enforced by member states, and there is a risk that transporters could exploit loopholes that derive from the different national sanctions systems.”