Ethical Aspects of Sustainable Development in Polish Enterprises Transporting Animals for Slaughter

Abstract

The issue of sustainable development is currently the subject of interest of researchers from many scientific fields. The idea of sustainable development includes the economy, the society and the environment. In the context of sustainable development, the subject of animal welfare is being increasingly regarded as essential. Ensuring animal welfare is now the key issue for public opinion, livestock farmers, animal rights organizations, entrepreneurs, transport companies and slaughterhouses. Animal welfare should be applied according to Five Freedoms, which are: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from pain and injury, freedom from physical discomfort, freedom to express normal behavior, freedom from stress and fear. The purpose of this article is to present the current state of awareness about ensuring animal welfare as an element of sustainable development on the example of Polish companies which transport animals to slaughterhouses. As a research method the authors used the survey method. The questionnaire was addressed to the owners of enterprises transporting slaughter animals and to drivers of these enterprises. The results found out that there is a serious need to change the operation of the transport system due to ethical aspects.Keywords: Sustainable development, animal welfare, animal transport, transport management

Animal Welfare during Transport and Slaughter of Cattle: A Systematic Review of Studies in the European Legal Framework

“…For this reason, animals must be transported by trained personnel holding a certificate of competence [5] to ensure proper assessment of fitness for transport, as well as loading and unloading [33]. Livestock transport drivers should be aware of the needs, perception, and sensibilities of animals, and should handle them in the proper way [36]. Not all participants of training courses already have experience in handling livestock, which emphasizes the necessity of adequate and sufficient training, e.g., when loading or driving the animals [37].…”

Experiences and opinions of Danish livestock drivers transporting sows regarding fitness for transport and management choices relevant for animal welfare

“…In a comparable questionnaire survey focusing on livestock drivers transporting cull dairy cows, Herskin et al (2017) found that only 52% of their respondents were able to correctly answer two specific questions concerning fitness for transport. Recently, Budzik and Budzik (2019) presented results from a questionnaire survey directed at Polish livestock drivers, and concluded that the drivers did not have full knowledge about animal welfare and did not understand its significance in terms of its potential for sustainable development within the transport sector. In the present study, the livestock drivers were not asked about their level of knowledge as such, or whether they wanted a higher level, but Burnard et al (2015) (after interviewing six French sheep drivers in a qualitative study), stated that the drivers in their study requested more formal training.…”