Thanet District Council has today (Thursday 22nd March) held a multi agency meeting in a continued effort to resolve ongoing animal welfare concerns arising from the export of live animals from Ramsgate Port.
The meeting was arranged following the agreement of a motion at Full Council on 13th October 2011 to set up a working group to address live animal export issues. Many concerns were discussed during the meeting and as a result, it was agreed that attendees would form a multi agency working group to ensure that animal welfare law continues to be upheld to its fullest for all live animal exports through Ramsgate Port.
The Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr. Clive Hart, chaired the meeting and other attendees included Cabinet Members, Cllr. Alan Poole and Cllr. Michelle Fenner, Commercial Services Manager, Mark Seed, Chief Executive of The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA) Gavin Grant, RSPCA Staff Officer Dermot Murphy and representatives from Member of the European Parliament for the South East Peter Skinner’s office, Compassion in World Farming and Thanet Against Live Exports. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) were asked to attend but declined.
Leader of the Council, Cllr. Clive Hart, said: “Today’s meeting was a great success. The transport of live animals still continues to be lawful, however all agencies present were in agreement that the welfare of the animals to be transported from Ramsgate Port must be of the highest possible standards. Thanet District Council will now be working very closely with the RSPCA to ensure that this is the case and that the strongest possible action is taken by the Government’s health inspectors if it is not.”
A joint statement from the group will be released shortly.
Shame on TDC for allowing it in the first place!!!
ReplyDeleteThey couldn't stop it. What part of "lawful" don't you understand?
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