FOUR PAWS Calls on South Africa to Ban Live Animal Exports by Sea
On Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day, advocates demand urgent government action
Cape Town, 04 June 2025 – On Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day observed on 14 June, animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS South Africa is calling on the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to stop the live export of animals by sea. Despite indisputable evidence of extreme cruelty, global momentum to end this trade, and mounting public opposition, the government has shown no intention to act accordingly.
The case against live exports by sea
The suffering endured by animals exported by sea is harrowing and well-documented:
- Weeks or months of travel enduring unbearable heat stress, high stocking densities, starvation, seasickness, dehydration, and poor ventilation.
- Cramped and filthy conditions, with many animals dying during transit.
- Survivors often face cruel slaughter methods at their destinations.
- DOA’s guidelines for the Exportation of Live Animals by Sea are non-binding, and even binding regulations cannot be enforceable once the animals leave national borders, leaving animals vulnerable to cruelty at sea and at the destination country.
- South Africa’s courts have recognised that animals are sentient beings, and that the government has an obligation to consider their welfare.
Global precedent
Other countries are showing the way:
- New Zealand banned live exports by sea in 2022.
- Australia has passed legislation to end live sheep exports by 2028.
- The United Kingdom banned live exports for slaughter in 2024.
South Africa has the capacity to do the same, it only lacks the political will.
The economic argument falls apart
- Chilled meat exports and local slaughter generate more jobs, higher GDP returns, and boost rural development.
- Humane alternatives are not only possible, but they’re also profitable.
Transporting live animals over long distances increases the risk of zoonotic disease outbreaks, threatening both human and animal populations. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how urgent it is to mitigate such risks. FOUR PAWS urges the DOA to:
- Prohibit live exports by sea
- Promote humane alternatives.
- Fulfil its constitutional, legal and ethical duty to protect animals.
Let South Africa be a global leader in compassionate trade as the world marks Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day. FOUR PAWS calls on South Africa to lead with compassion, not cruelty.
For more information, please visit our website on www.four-paws.org.za
/ENDS
Deidre Daniels
Public Relations Officer+27 (0)21 702 4277
+27 (0)78 675 8220
9B Bell Crescent, Westlake Business Park,
Green Building, Cape Town, 7945
A Public Relations professional with over eight years’ experience in fostering positive relationships between organisations and media.
FOUR PAWS in South Africa on Social Media
Stay up to date on this topic and on all FOUR PAWS activities on our social media channels:
or subscribe to FOUR PAWS in South Africa newsletter.
FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org.za