Animal transportation guidelines would be formulated to ensure their safety and welfare during transportation, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday amid calls to end improper animal transportation practices by Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC).
Animal rights groups at a news conference yesterday said millions of small mammals, such as rabbits, mice, birds and hedgehogs, are crammed into TRC’s mail and baggage cars for long-distance transportation every year.
They are treated as if they were regular cargo, with no proper health management due to inadequate regulations, they said, urging amendments to the Regulations of Animal Transportation (動物運送管理辦法).
Photo courtesy of the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan
Taiwan Rabbit Saving Association Public Affairs Division head Lin Chiao (林樵) said TRC’s mail and baggage cars have become part of the animal transportation industrial chain.
The breeding industry sends the small animals as “packages” to pet business operators through trains’ mail and baggage cars, Lin said.
Transportation of “animal packages” under 10kg within 300km via such cars on the Chukuang Express only cost NT$200, she said, adding that the fee is capped at NT$820 for packages weighing up to 30kg and transported for a longer distance.
Such low freight rates encourages breeding operators to use those services, Lin said.
Small animals are crammed into cages or paper boxes without enough water or proper temperature control, she said.
They are cramped in small spaces and end up crushing one another, Lin said, adding that some animals die after getting their heads stuck in ventilation holes, as the stifling heat forced them to stick their heads out of the holes for cooler air.
Live animal transportation requires professional expertise and is not the same as produce or cargo transportation, she said.
Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan researcher Kao Ming-wei (高銘薇) said only livestock such as pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks and geese, as well as some protected animals, are sufficiently protected by the law.
The ministry said it would formulate general guidelines on animal transportation that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications could reference when establishing regulations.
It would also ask local authorities to investigate whether there is indeed animal abuse during train transportation, it added.
Article 9 of the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) stipulates that people who transport animals should take care of their needs, such as food and water, ensure their safety and healthy environments, as well as prevent them from being distressed or hurt, the ministry said.
Those who transport animals without proper treatment could be fined based on the act, it added.
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