Government e-petition

Thanet District Council has voted to support a Government e-petition which calls on Parliament to reform laws regulating the export of live farm animals. 

The motion, which was passed at a meeting of Full Council on Thursday 13 October, stated that the council would publish a link to this petition on the homepage of its website, and would publish a statement and press release which encourages citizens of Thanet and elsewhere to sign the Government e-petition.

As such, the council is encouraging local people to sign the petition.

The Port of Ramsgate has been used for live animal exports since May 2011 and these shipments continue on a regular basis.  The council has sought legal advice on whether it could lawfully ban the shipments but was told it could not as Ramsgate is an ‘open port’. 

Requests from the council to instate a maximum journey time of eight hours for live animal shipments have been sent to the government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Council Leader has also met with the Minister of State Jim Paice to discuss the issue.

This petition now calls on the government to amend the law to allow port owners to refuse, on animal welfare grounds, the export of live farm animals.  The Harbours, Docks & Piers Clauses Act 1847 currently makes it illegal to refuse a ship the use of a port if it is carrying out lawful trade.  In addition Port owners cannot refuse the trade on ethical grounds.

If the petition passes the 100,000 signature threshold, it will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons.